FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of human rights abuse in Bahrain.

Hugh Robertson: The UK works closely with the Government of Bahrain to provide targeted and practical assistance in torture prevention, judicial reform, civil service capacity building and community policing. During my visit to Bahrain in June for the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group, I discussed the importance of human rights and political reform and UK assistance with the Bahraini authorities. We also continue to encourage all sides to engage constructively in political dialogue in order to reach an inclusive political settlement.

Bahrain

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will take steps to investigate reports of human rights abuses, torture and arrests of political prisoners in Bahrain.

Hugh Robertson: We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Bahrain. The UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as a matter of fundamental principle. Our Torture and Mistreatment Reporting Guidance, published in March 2011, reiterates the long-standing policy that our staff must report any allegation about suspected torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment so that such allegations can be acted upon appropriately.

Bahrain

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to encourage civil rights and democracy in Bahrain.

Hugh Robertson: We work closely with the Government of Bahrain to provide targeted and practical assistance in torture prevention, judicial reform, civil service capacity building and community policing. We also continue to encourage all sides to engage constructively in political dialogue in order to reach an inclusive political settlement.

Bahrain

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to reassess whether Bahrain should be designated a country of concern.

Hugh Robertson: We assess every country where we have human rights concerns before the end of each calendar year for possible inclusion as a country of concern in the annual human rights report. The next global assessment will therefore take place shortly before the end of 2014.

Bangladesh

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on allegations of human rights abuses in that country since January 2014.

Hugh Robertson: We take human rights very seriously and follow the situation in Bangladesh closely, raising concerns where there are credible allegations. We welcome the Bangladesh Government’s assurances that they are committed to protecting human rights and recognise the positive progress that has been made across a range of social development indicators.
	However, allegations of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and human rights abuses are deeply concerning. We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Bangladesh Government. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi last raised reports of extrajudicial killings and disappearances with the Bangladesh High Commissioner on 13 May. During Bangladesh’s 2nd Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council last year we also recommended that the Government of Bangladesh thoroughly and impartially investigate and, if credible evidence emerges, prosecute all allegations of human rights violations.

Bangladesh

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the operation and impartiality of the ongoing International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh.

Hugh Robertson: We are clear that the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) must improve the way it operates. We have concerns that the ICT process does not adequately meet international fair trials standards. This is a message that we give consistently, both publicly and privately. We have also made clear that we are opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances in all countries.
	During Bangladesh's 2nd Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council on 29 April 2013, the UK urged the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that the International Crimes Tribunal meet international legal standards.

Bangladesh

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh.

Hugh Robertson: We are clear that the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) must operate in a manner that meets international fair trials standards. This is a message that we give consistently, both publicly and privately, for example at Bangladesh's 2nd Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council on 29 April 2013.
	The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi raised this at length with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her last visit to Dhaka in December 2013, and also made clear our absolute opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances in all countries.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 947, on Diego Garcia, what factors the Government will take into account when deciding on future plans for British Indian Ocean Territory.

Mark Simmonds: In my answer in the House on 17 June I spoke about the key factors that the Government will consider in coming to a policy decision on resettlement of the Territory: value for the UK taxpayer, long-term contingent liabilities, and defence requirements of Diego Garcia to the UK and our allies. This consideration will clearly be driven by the report on the feasibility of resettlement by the independent consultants, which will provide us with a factual analysis of the practicalities that any resettlement might involve, including the economic sustainability of a resettled population, and its environmental impact, and of course the views of Chagossians themselves about what they want to see from our policy. We look forward to the final report which is expected by January 2015.

Burma

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of whether there is a causal link between the census in Burma and the violence currently taking place in that country;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the conduct of the current census in Burma and the extent to which this has been affected by recent violence and rising ethnic tensions.

Hugo Swire: Reports from independent international observers of the census suggest that, with the exception of Rakhine State and parts of Kachin State, the enumeration process appears to have been largely carried out effectively. We continue to monitor the process closely. There has not been a census in Burma for 30 years, and this census will provide a vital source of data to inform better government service delivery.
	We are concerned by reports of the census being used as a pretext for one incident of localised violence in Kachin State. However, we do not believe that there is a link between the census and recent violence elsewhere in Kachin. Conflict in Kachin State has been ongoing for almost three years, and the challenges of census data collection in the area reflected the continued lack of trust on the ground. We continue to support strongly government and ethnic group efforts to reach a sustainable peace, through a ceasefire and political dialogue that can help bring an end to human rights abuses in ceasefire areas.
	Similarly our assessment is that recent violence in Rakhine has been caused by underlying intercommunal tensions that have previously led to violence there. We were deeply disappointed that, in the case of the Rohingya, the Burmese Government contravened their long-standing assurance that all individuals would have the right to self-identify their ethnic origin in the census. We have been clear that this decision is contrary to international norms and standards on census conduct. I summoned the Burmese ambassador to make these points.

Counter-terrorism

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what change there has been in the number of dedicated counter-terrorism officials employed by his Department since the end of the last financial year.

William Hague: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not release information about staffing on counter terrorism for operational and security reasons.

Counter-terrorism

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on changes to funding for his Department's Counter Terrorism Directorate.

William Hague: Keeping Britain and British nationals safe from terrorism is a top priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and we are fully committed to safeguarding the UK’s national security. We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement, as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes.
	The FCO Counter Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) is the main fund for terrorism-related assistance to foreign countries used by the FCO Counter Terrorism Department. This is complemented by other budgets used for counter-terrorism related activities and the tri-departmental (FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool, as I set out in my statement to the House on 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 9-12WS. CTPF has been reduced as we redirect FCO resources to where they can have the most impact, and move some programmes to other Government Departments who are better placed to carry out that work. It is not the case that important activities have ceased or are now under-funded. The FCO’s work on counter-terrorism goes well beyond CTPF—it is at the heart of our diplomacy across our overseas network, particularly in areas of instability. We have, for example, recently: opened an embassy in Mogadishu to support our work on stability and security in Somalia; brought together key players on Nigeria to secure much needed assistance to tackle the threat from Boko Haram; and continued our work to stop terrorists getting their hands on money to fund their activities, through leading efforts on disrupting financial flows from sources such as ‘Kidnap for Ransom’.

Counter-terrorism

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what change there has been in overall resources available for counter-terrorism work in his Department in the last financial year; and what change there will be in such funding over the next financial year.

William Hague: Keeping Britain and British nationals safe from terrorism is a top priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and we are fully committed to safeguarding the UK’s national security. We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement, as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes.
	The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is one of the largest policy Departments in the FCO. The Counter Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) is the main fund for terrorism-related assistance to foreign countries used by CTD. The administrative budget for CTD was £237,500 in 2013-14 and the allocation for CTPF was £30 million. The administrative budget for CTD in 2014-15 is £211,000. The figures exclude the staffing costs of individuals working on counter-terrorism in the FCO and across our overseas network. CTPF is complemented by other budgets used for counter-terrorism related activities and the tri-departmental (FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool, as I set out in my statement to the House on 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 9-12WS. A written ministerial statement will follow on the FCO Strategic Programme Fund allocation for 2014-15, which will include the CTPF.

Counter-terrorism

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of its budget his Department spent on counter-terrorism in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2013-14.

William Hague: Keeping Britain and British nationals safe from terrorism is a top priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and we are fully committed to safeguarding the UK’s national security. We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement, as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes.
	The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is one of the largest policy Departments in the FCO. The Counter Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) is the main fund for terrorism-related assistance to foreign countries used by CTD. The administrative budget for CTD was £237,500 in 2013-14 and the allocation for CTPF was £30 million. The administrative budget for CTD in 2014-15 is £211,000. The figures exclude the staffing costs of individuals working on counter-terrorism in the FCO and across our overseas network. A written ministerial statement will follow on the FCO Strategic Programme Fund allocation for 2014-15, which will include the CTPF. The CTPF is complemented by other budgets used for counter-terrorism related activities and the tri-departmental (FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool, as I set out in my statement to the House on 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 9-12WS.

Counter-terrorism

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many dedicated counter-terrorism officials were employed by his Department in the (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2013-14 financial year.

William Hague: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not release information about staffing on counter terrorism for operational and security reasons.

Egypt

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Egyptian counterpart on allegations of brutality and torture of detainees in Azouli prison; and if he will raise this issue at EU meetings and with other international bodies.

Hugh Robertson: Recent allegations of torture and mistreatment in Egyptian prisons are deeply worrying. A recent Amnesty International report suggests that up to 400 civilians are being held without charge at the Azouli prison, with no access to their lawyers or families.
	The European Union made a statement at the 26th Human Rights Council regarding the treatment of prisoners in Egypt. The statement expressed concern at the continued detention of thousands of Egyptian citizens, many of whom were detained on unclear grounds, and the conditions under which they are detained.
	Representatives of the British embassy in Cairo raised the issue of Azouli prison with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 June. The UK Government condemn the use of torture in all circumstances and strongly urge the Egyptian authorities to ensure that all human and legal rights of all detainees are upheld.

Palestinians

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what most recent reports he has received on the three Israeli teenagers kidnapped on the West Bank on 12 June 2014; what recent steps he has taken to help secure their release; what representations he has made regarding this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office receives daily updates from our posts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We have offered practical support. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Israeli Foreign Minister on 17 June about this issue. I also discussed this issue with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities during my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between 18-19 June.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Attorney-General how many apprentices have been hired under the Law Officers' Department's new contract for procurement.

Oliver Heald: The Law Officers’ Departments do not hold any central records of the number of apprentices who may have been hired by its suppliers. To provide this information would involve contacting numerous companies and would therefore incur a disproportionate cost.

PRIME MINISTER

Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister how many times he has met with the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 May 2014, Official Report, column 761W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many apprentices the Northern Ireland Office accepted as part of the Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme in each year since the scheme started.

Theresa Villiers: My Department has not accepted any apprentices as part of this scheme since it started.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the Northern Ireland Office promotes the Civil Service Fast Stream programme in Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: The civil service fast stream programme, including opportunities to join the Northern Ireland civil service as a fast streamer, is promoted via the civil service fast stream website.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new fast streamers were placed in the Northern Ireland Office in each year since 2010.

Theresa Villiers: One new fast streamer was placed with my Department in 2011.

Educational Testing Service

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what current contracts (a) her Department and (b) each of her Department's non-departmental public bodies hold with the Educational Testing Service or any of that organisation's subsidiaries.

Theresa Villiers: My Department currently holds no contracts with the Educational Testing Service or any of that organisation’s subsidiaries.
	My Department has two executive non-departmental public bodies; the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland. As these bodies are independent of Government, my hon. Friend may wish to write directly to them on this operational matter. Contact details are provided as follows:
	Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission—contact:
	information@nihrc.org
	Parades Commission for Northern Ireland—contact:
	Info@paradescommission.org

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what her policy is on the future funding of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; and whether there has been any recent change in that policy.

Theresa Villiers: Like other UK Government Departments, the Northern Ireland Office faces a significant reduction in its budget—of 11.15% in 2015-16. My Department has therefore requested that all of its arm’s length bodies provide an impact statement on the practical measures that might be taken to meet such a reduction. I have not yet made any decision in respect of the Commission’s budget. I met the acting chair of the Commission last week.

Parades

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether her Department has discussed the consideration of any specific parade application with any member of the Parades Commission since January 2014.

Theresa Villiers: Neither I nor my officials have had any discussions about specific parade notifications with any member of the Parades Commission since the period referred to in the question.
	Consideration of parades notifications is an operational matter for the Parades Commission, acting independently of the Government, in exercise of their powers under the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. I play no role in that process.

Senior Civil Servants

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of staff in the Northern Ireland Office are senior civil servants.

Theresa Villiers: As of 1 June 2014, my Department has 155 members of staff and of these eight, or 5%, are members of the senior civil service.

Trade Promotion

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how the UK's Embassies and High Commissions may be used more effectively to promote Northern Ireland trade and investment.

Theresa Villiers: I have regular meetings with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and other Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters concerning Northern Ireland, including the promotion of trade and investment. The Government feel that it is important that the UK trade and investment system works as effectively as possible with Northern Ireland counterparts to maximise Northern Ireland’s impact.

Trade Promotion

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 723, on business, whether the Minister of State for Northern Ireland plans to attend any of the 16 events planned by UK Trade & Investment in connection with the International Festival for Business in Liverpool.

Andrew Robathan: I have no plans at present to attend the International Festival for Business but I shall discuss the Festival when I next meet the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
	I expect the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), to discuss the Festival with the Chief Executive of UKTI when she meets him shortly.

World War I: Anniversaries

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to commemorate the First World War in Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon), on 23 June 2014, Official Report, columns 52-53W.

TRANSPORT

Educational Testing Service

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what current contracts (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department's executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies hold with the Educational Testing Service or any of that organisation's subsidiaries.

Stephen Hammond: The Department has no current contracts with Educational Testing Services or its subsidiaries.

Large Goods Vehicles

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations the UK has made at a European level on the introduction of more rounded front designs of HGV lorry cabs to increase fuel efficiency.

Stephen Hammond: We have been involved in negotiations on the Commission’s proposal to amend the General Circulation Directive (maximum weights and dimensions) since they commenced in January, in which we have supported the proposals to enable the introduction of more rounded front designs of HGV lorry cabs to increase fuel efficiency.
	Political agreement on the presidency text was reached in the Transport Council on 5 June.

M1

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many different stretches of road works are currently taking place on the M1 between London and junction 32 with the M18; and for what reasons such works have not been phased to take place consecutively rather than concurrently.

Robert Goodwill: There are currently 11 stretches of road works that are taking place on the M1 between London and junction 32 with the M18. Of these, two are related to a major improvement —M1 J28-31 upgrade to Smart Motorway and M1 J19 Catthorpe improvement.
	To maintain the strategic road network in a safe and serviceable condition, it is inevitable that Highways Agency road works will need to be undertaken at several locations at any one time throughout the year. Maintenance work is programmed to achieve good value for money and minimise disruption to road users. The majority of work is undertaken overnight to reduce lane closures when the motorway is busy.
	The Agency operates a road booking system to manage planned works, but overnight emergency and other maintenance activities will take place on the M1 which may require single lane closures, temporary speed limits and occasional slip road closures.
	When it is cost effective to do so, road works are also lifted on bank and seasonal holidays to limit disruption to road users.
	In planning major road works, the option of breaking construction into a number of smaller sequential phases is considered, however this usually has the impact of prolonging the overall duration of construction and therefore the length of time of disruption for road users.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Asperger's Syndrome

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Defence Consultant Adviser for Psychiatry about Asperger's syndrome in the context of the Defence Medical Services policy review; and whether he plans to change his Department's policy on the recruitment to the armed forces of people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.

Anna Soubry: There have been no such discussions with the Secretary of State or other Defence Ministers.
	It is our policy that armed forces personnel should be recruited to be fully fit for deployment worldwide on operations. For this reason, the services do not recruit personnel with existing medical conditions which may adversely impact on the effectiveness of the armed forces, or which may themselves be exacerbated by military circumstances.
	This is particularly relevant in cases of individuals with autism or Asperger's syndrome, as military personnel are expected to perform in multiple roles, which may be difficult for someone suffering from these disorders. Further, all military personnel are required to work in close-knit teams, and in operational environments the pressures are such that anyone with significant disability in social interaction may potentially be a danger to themselves or their team. These two diagnoses have significant disability in social interaction as part of their defining features.
	The policy on Asperger's has recently been changed to allow some minimal degree of relaxation for those candidates for the services who do not display classic symptoms of the syndrome or where their diagnosis may be in doubt. It places more emphasis on assessing their ability to perform as part of a team and to function within a simulated military environment and less on medical opinion.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what change there was in the number of (a) sea cadets and (b) army cadets in Northern Ireland between January 2004 and 2014.

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence-sponsored cadet forces offer challenging and enjoyable activities for young people, and prepare them to play an active part in the community while developing valuable life skills.
	Information held centrally by the Ministry of Defence on the numbers of sea and army cadets in Northern Ireland is provided in the following tables. For sea cadets, reliable data are available from January 2005. For army cadets, estimated information on the Army Cadet Force is available from March 2012 although comparable data about the Army Combined Cadet Force are not available in the format requested. Information prior to these dates could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Sea Cadets Royal Marine (RM) Cadets Adult Volunteers (Sea and RM) 
			 January 2005 225 13 146 
			 January 2014 235 22 157 
			 Change +/- +10 +9 +11 
		
	
	
		
			  Army Cadet Force Army Combined Cadet Force Adult Volunteers 
			 March 2012 11,925 2- 1350 
			 January 2014 1,422 598 397 
			 Change +/- -503 3- +47 
			 1 Estimated 2 Not held 3 Not known 
		
	
	Since 2012 the Army has worked to improve the accuracy of their record keeping with a concerted effort to identify those cadets not actively participating and to either encourage them back into cadet activities or to remove them from the management information system. This has accounted for a significant drop in Army Cadet Force figures over the past few years. However, we are actively recruiting Army cadets in Northern Ireland and numbers are beginning to increase.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the Lightning II's combat capability against the (a) Chinese J-20, (b) Russian Sukhoi PAK FA and (c) Russian Su-35S fighter aircraft;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the Lightning II's combat capability against the Russian (a) NNIIRT 55Zh6M Nebo Mobile and (b) Almaz-Antey S-400 / SA-21 Growler SAM System radar systems;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the extent to which overseas espionage has compromised the fighting ability of the Lightning II; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the loss/exchange ratio for the Lightning II is.

Philip Dunne: The Lightning II aircraft is specifically designed to operate in a contested environment. Regular simulator work and operational analysis is carried out to confirm the system's performance and operational test of the aircraft is planned to do the same. The air system currently meets or exceeds our requirements. I am withholding the level of detail requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Navy

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many current suitably qualified and experienced personnel positions are (a) required and (b) vacant in (i) Type 23 and (ii) Type 45 ship crews.

Anna Soubry: The information requested, as at 1 May 2014, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Required Positions Vacant Positions 
			 Type 23 2,060 180 
			 Type 45 1,010 80 
			 Note: All figures are rounded in accordance with the Defence Statistics rounding policy. All numbers over 100 are rounded to the nearest 10 with numbers ending in 5 rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid bias. Numbers under 100 are rounded to the nearest 5. 
		
	
	None of the existing vacancies is in a post categorised as safety critical and no ship would go to sea without the minimum required complement of suitably qualified and experienced personnel.

Type 26 Frigates

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many variants of the Type 26 global combat ship are being planned.

Philip Dunne: On current plans, all Type 26 global combat ships will have the same base level of capability but equipment fits tailored to task will enable them to meet their specific operational requirements.

Type 26 Frigates

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many countries have expressed an interest in operating the Type 26 global combat ship.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 December 2012, Official Report, column 615W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Penny Mordaunt).

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Commission

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent assessment the Electoral Commission has made of (a) its successes and (b) failures over the last five years.

Gary Streeter: The Commission continuously assesses its work and publishes an annual assessment of progress within its annual report and accounts. The Commission’s annual reports and accounts, together with its corporate plans are laid before Parliament each year by Mr Speaker and are available on its website here:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/corporate-publications

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the potential benefits of the inclusion of the actual number and proportion of UK citizens registered to vote as a measure of the Electoral Commission's effectiveness.

Gary Streeter: The inclusion of the actual number and proportion of UK citizens registered to vote is not currently included as a key success measure of the Electoral Commission's effectiveness. The Commission’s key success measures are reviewed each year and included in its Corporate Plan which is updated and presented to the Speaker’s Committee for approval on an annual basis.
	The Commission works with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and other stakeholders to increase the number and proportion of UK citizens registered to vote and therefore the change in registrations cannot be attributed solely to the Commission. Changes in registration rates are also likely to be the result of some factors which do not relate directly to registration practices, including levels of political engagement and changes in population mobility.
	However, the Commission sets targets for the number of registration forms downloaded from its AboutMyVote website. This measure provides a proxy for the number of registrations attributable to each Commission campaign. The targets for the number of registration forms downloaded vary for each poll taking account of, for example, the size of the electorate.
	It is currently not possible to directly map the number of forms downloaded from the Commission’s site to actual registrations as the registers are managed by 363 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) across Great Britain and EROs do not measure the number of registration forms downloaded from aboutmyvote.co.uk for the specific period of Commission campaigns. Following the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration, the Commission will examine the opportunities presented by online registration to review its registration measurements.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission if the Electoral Commission will revise its Key Success Measures, Target Performance for completeness of register from “completeness does not deteriorate” to a policy of “increasing completion rates year on year”.

Gary Streeter: The commission's key success measures are included in its corporate plan which is updated and presented to the Speaker's Committee for approval on an annual basis. The next opportunity to update the corporate plan will be when the 2015-16 to 2019-20 plan is presented to the Speaker's Committee in spring 2015 and the commission will be reviewing the key success measures in preparation for this plan in autumn 2014.

Electoral Register: British Nationals Abroad

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to increase the number of British overseas electors registered to vote.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it runs public awareness campaigns to encourage British expatriates to register to vote; the most recent took place ahead of the European elections this year.
	Two briefing notes, which included details of the campaign, were circulated to hon. Members in advance of the elections. These notes are available on the commission’s website here:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/164449/Elections-May-2014-briefing.pdf
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/165893/The-elections-on-22-May-2014-Briefing-note-2.pdf
	The commission intends to run a similar campaign ahead of the 2015 general election. It is currently evaluating the performance of its 2014 campaign to identify improvements that could be made for the general election campaign. The commission will ensure that a copy of the evaluation is sent to the hon. Member when it has been completed.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the electoral registration rates were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 15 years.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold data on the electoral registration rate for each of the last 15 years.
	However, the commission has periodically carried out specific research on levels of registration in Northern Ireland. This found that the local government register for Northern Ireland was 83.4% complete in December 2007 and 73% complete in April 2012.
	Following the publication of findings for the April 2012 register, a household canvass was conducted in Northern Ireland in autumn 2013. After the canvass, the commission reviewed the results and concluded that it had been well run and significantly improved the completeness of the register. The commission’s report can be found here:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/166999/Report-on-the-Northern-Ireland-electoral-registration-canvass-2013.pdf

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, which 100 wards in which town, county and constituency in Northern Ireland had (a) the highest electoral registration rate and (b) the lowest registration rate in the latest period for which information is available.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold information about ward electorates for Northern Ireland. This information is held by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the answer of 12 May 2014, Official Report, columns 375-7W, on electoral register, what causes have been identified for the relatively low electoral registration rates in Northern Ireland.

Gary Streeter: The Commission published a report in November 2012 on the electoral register in Northern Ireland. This found there had been a substantial drop in levels of registration since the previous assessment in 2007. This report can be found here:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/152626/Continuous-electoral-registration-in-Northern-Ireland.pdf
	The report suggested that the low level of completeness was mainly the result of the failure of the processes that had been employed to manage the register in Northern Ireland, under continuous registration, to keep pace with either population change or home movement. In particular, it identified the absence of a full household canvass as contributing to the drop in completeness.
	Following the publication of findings for the April 2012 register, a household canvass was conducted in Northern Ireland in autumn 2013. After the canvass, the Commission reviewed the results and concluded that it had been well run and significantly improved the completeness of the register. The Commission’s report can be found here:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/166999/Report-on-the-Northern-Ireland-electoral-registration-canvass-2013.pdf

General Election 2010

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, which 100 wards in which town, county and constituency had the lowest turnout for voting in person at the last General Election.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold the data requested at ward level.
	The Commission collects electoral data at each set of polls. In nearly all cases these are collected down to the level of individual contests, which means that it only holds ward level data for local elections.

General Election 2010

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, which wards, in which town, county and constituency had a postal vote turnout greater than 90 per cent at the last General Election.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission does not hold the data requested at ward level.
	The Commission collects electoral data at each set of polls. In nearly all cases these are collected down to the level of individual contests, which means that it only holds ward level data for local elections.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many and what proportion of questions answered by the Electoral Commission involving four pages of data or less were (a) placed in the Library without a web link, (b) placed in the Library with a web link and (c) given in full in Hansard in each of the last five years.

Gary Streeter: The Commission informs me that it does not collect this information in the requested format.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: Nottinghamshire

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes have been built in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) each borough in Nottinghamshire in each of the last five years.

Kris Hopkins: Statistics on additional affordable housing delivery are not available by constituency but are available for each local authority area in England. These are published in the Department’s live 1008, which is available at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
	These figures include both newly built housing and acquisitions.
	Almost 200,000 affordable homes have been delivered in England since April 2010. A further £23 billion public and private investment will help ensure another 165,000 new affordable homes are provided between 2015 and 2018. More council housing has been built in the four years of this Government than in all the 13 years of the last Government combined.

Homelessness

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) homeless people and (b) rough sleepers in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England.

Kris Hopkins: As outlined in the written ministerial statement of 18 September 2012, Official Report, column 32WS, my Department does not publish statistics by Government office region.
	National and local authority data for homelessness are published in Live Table 784a which is available online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
	National and local authority data on rough sleeping can be found in Table 1 of the Rough Sleeping in England statistical release which can be found on the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2013
	We are investing over £500 million over the current spending review period to help local authorities and voluntary sector partners prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. This includes £20 million to support the roll out of the ‘No Second Night Out' standard and protect vital front line services. We have also supported the voluntary sector to deliver ‘StreetLink' a national rough sleeping hotline, website and app to connect rough sleepers to local services.
	On 10 June we announced that over £65 million of additional funding across Whitehall is being offered to councils and other organisations to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping around the country and ensure that vulnerable people can access a range of support and lead independent lives.

Housing: Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes have been built in Harlow constituency in each of the last 15 years.

Kris Hopkins: Statistics on house building completions in Harlow district are published in the Department's live table 253, which is available at the following link:
	http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

Non-domestic Rates: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses in Warrington North constituency have qualified for the full business rate discount to date.

Brandon Lewis: At the autumn statement we announced a £1 billion package of business rates support to help shops and local firms. This included a £1,000 discount for two years for smaller shops, pubs and restaurants. We do not hold figures for numbers benefiting from that measure in the Warrington North constituency. However, based on local authority reports of the amount of relief awarded, we estimate that 1,020 properties will benefit within the boundary of Warrington borough council.
	The support package also included a 50% discount for businesses taking on long-term empty shops, the doubling of small business rate relief for another year, a 2% cap on RPI increases for 2014-15, and allowing businesses to spread their rates payments over 12 months.

Private Rented Housing: Children

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the number of households with children in the private rented sector in England.

Kris Hopkins: holding answer 18 June 2014
	According to the English Housing Survey, in 2011-12, there were 3.9 million households in the owner occupied sector with dependent children, 1.3 million in the private rented sector and 1.2 million in the social rented sector.

Public Buildings: Disability

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets his Department has on access to public buildings by physically disabled people.

Stephen Williams: The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers and employers to make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of disabled people, which might include making buildings more accessible where it is reasonable to do so. Part M of the building regulations sets out requirements for access to, and use of, buildings.

HEALTH

Abortion

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms his Department has put in place to ensure that terminating doctors fulfil their statutory obligation to fill in HSA4 forms correctly.

Jane Ellison: The Department has recently issued a range of guidance which will help clinicians to comply with the requirements of the Abortion Act, including their obligations with regard to the completion of HSA4 forms.
	Incorrectly filled in HSA4 forms are returned to the terminating practitioner by the Department of Health until such information is corrected. We are working with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to take forward their recommendations on tackling under-reporting of abortions for fetal abnormality.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at which gestations the proportion of selective terminations performed under ground E were performed in 2013.

Jane Ellison: The information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Selective reduction abortions performed under ground E by gestation, residents of England and Wales, 2013 
			 Gestation weeks Total 
			 Under 13 25 
			 13 to 19 39 
			 20 to 23 7 
			 24 and over 24 
			 Total 95

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department plans to take to address the health effects of alcohol on the population in the next year;
	(2)  with reference to the answer to Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town of 1 April 2014, Official Report, House of Lords, column 53WA, on alcohol, what action his Department is taking to address the predicted 0.8 per cent increase in alcohol consumption.

Jane Ellison: The answer to Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town of 1 April 2014 made clear that estimated changes in alcohol consumption are relative to the effects of the previous alcohol duty rates policy. Changes in consumption will be subject to a number of factors, of which changes in duty rates are one.
	The Government’s Alcohol Strategy aims to cut the number of people drinking at harmful levels.
	In November 2012, the Home Office launched a consultation on five key areas with the aim of reducing alcohol-fuelled crime, antisocial behaviour and alcohol-related health harm.
	The Government response, published in July 2013, provided an analysis of the responses and set out the next steps that the Government will take:
	Targeted national action, ending sales of the cheapest alcohol by introducing a ban on selling alcohol below the price of duty and VAT, and strengthening the ban on irresponsible promotions in pubs and clubs.
	A challenge to industry to increase its efforts, building on what has already been achieved through the Public Health Responsibility Deal. This includes tackling high strength products; promoting alcohol responsibly in shops; improving education around drinking; and supporting targeted local action.
	Support local action on alcohol-related harm, identifying a number of high harm local alcohol action areas and take action with them to strengthen local partnerships; improve enforcement; and share good practice based on what works locally. The Minister for Crime Prevention announced the 20 successful areas on 13 February 2014.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's First Interim Report on the Responsibility Deal on Alcohol, published in April 2014, what evidence his Department holds that the reduction in alcohol sales of 253 million units is as a result of industry action.

Jane Ellison: Identifying a change in alcohol by volume (ABV) was the methodology agreed by the Responsibility Deal Monitoring Group as the best way to measure progress towards delivery of the Responsibility Deal pledge, made by alcohol producers and retailers, to remove 1 billion units of alcohol from the market by the end of 2015 principally through improving consumer choice of lower alcohol products.
	The first interim monitoring report of progress, considered the extent to which the number of units of alcohol sold in the United Kingdom changed between 2011 and 2012 (a reduction of 1.3 billion units) and the portion of that change that can be attributed to changes in the average alcoholic strength of products (a reduction of 253 million units). When shifts between different categories of drink are controlled for, the average ABV decreased by 0.04 percentage points from 7.26% in 2011 to 7.22% in 2012. This generated the reduction of 253 million units of alcohol.
	This takes into account a downward pressure from an overall reduction in the volume of product sold, a slight upward pressure from a shift in market share towards higher strength products (wine and spirits) and a downward pressure from an overall reduction in the strength of drinks within product categories.
	The first interim monitoring report has been placed in the Library.

Autism

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to include specialist autism training for community care assessors as a requirement in the Care Act 2014 Part 1 regulations.

Norman Lamb: The Care Act will require local authorities to ensure all assessors are appropriately trained to carry out assessments. This builds on the statutory guidance Implementing Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives which followed the 2010 Adult Autism Strategy for England, and which required autism awareness training to be available to all staff working in health and social care and specialist training for those in key roles that have a direct impact on access to services for adults with autism. The Department is currently consulting on the regulations and statutory guidance that will support the implementation of the Care Act, and we will remind local authorities through this of this requirement in Implementing Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives.
	Due to the complexities of assessing people who are deafblind, regulations under the Care Act will require their assessments to be carried out by a specialist assessor. One of the questions in the consultation document is whether specialist assessors should be required to carry out the assessment of people with other conditions, such as autism, and to explain why this should be the case. Based on the evidence we receive through the consultation we will consider if this requirement should be extended to other conditions.

Breast Cancer

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department gives to clinical commissioning groups on commissioning breast cancer services;
	(2)  how clinical commissioning groups are held to account for the performance of services against each of the 13 statements of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence breast cancer quality standard.

Jane Ellison: The majority of treatments for cancer such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy (for all cancers), and services for rarer cancers are commissioned nationally by NHS England. Commissioning is informed by a range of clinical reference groups established as a primary source of advice on best practice, service standards for commissioned providers, and forward strategy and innovation.
	National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards define clinical best practice for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer to help clinicians ensure that patients are given information about the treatment options available and help in choosing the best option to suit them.
	The Health and Social Care Act (2012) places a duty on NHS England to have regard to NICE quality standards. NHS England would expect clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to take into account NICE quality standards when commissioning breast cancer services.
	No assessment has been made of the performance of services against the breast cancer quality standard. However, compliance with quality standards generally could be monitored through a range of mechanisms depending on the specific quality standard, for example the 30 national clinical audits funded by NHS England, the Best Practice Tariff, Commissioning for Quality Improvement Initiatives arrangements and the CCG Outcome Indicator Set. These levers are designed to drive quality improvement in the national health service using quality standards where appropriate. NHS England’s National Clinical Directors actively promote existing NICE quality standards.
	At the request of NHS England, the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership will shortly begin commissioning a new national breast cancer clinical audit. There is an expectation that national clinical audits, where appropriate, support the implementation of NICE clinical guidelines and quality standards. The new national clinical audit will be in place by the end of 2014-15.

Cancer

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what responsibilities for cancer policy that were previously within the remit of his Department are now held by Public Health England staff;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff Public Health England employed to work on cancer policy at a national level in each of the last two financial years.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England is not responsible for policy on cancer, but does ensure the delivery of several cancer related functions including NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, Be Clear on Cancer campaigns, cancer screening quality assurance, the National Cancer Intelligence Network and the National Cancer Registration Service. National strategic oversight and policy on cancer screening, early diagnosis and cancer informatics remains with the Department with 3.5 whole-time equivalent posts.

Cancer

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of hospitals in England have implemented a multidisciplinary team for cancer of unknown primary (CUP) as stated in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on CUP;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the quality of the implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on management of metastatic malignant disease of unknown primary;
	(3)  what the minimum level of service provision in hospitals is for patients who have cancer of unknown primary.

Jane Ellison: NHS England would expect that service provision for patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) takes into account National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
	Services for people with cancer are subject to assessment and assurance through the National Cancer Peer Review Programme. Assessment of compliance is made against Commissioning for Quality and Innovation measures.
	The Department does not collect information centrally on the proportion of hospitals in England which have implemented a multidisciplinary team for CUP.

Cancer

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what focus Genomics England plans to give in its selection of cancer types for genetic sequencing to (a) cases of unknown primary and (b) other less common cancers with high mortality rates.

Jane Ellison: Genomics England has taken expert scientific advice on the choice of cancers based on the clinical benefit from whole genome sequencing and the availability of sufficient samples. The sequencing of cancer is at the pilot stage and Genomics England will take account of the information from the pilot and information regarding areas with unmet diagnostic need in determining future priorities for cancer and rare disease in delivering the Prime Minister's 100,000 Genomes Project.

Chlamydia

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of 16 to 25-year-olds in England had a Chlamydia test in 2012-13.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the requested format.
	The proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds, the target age group of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, who had a Chlamydia test in each upper tier local authority in England for the most recent year for which data are available (2013) has been placed in the Library.
	The proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds, the target age group of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, who had a Chlamydia test in each upper tier local authority in England for 2012 has been placed in the Library.

Chlamydia

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage re-testing of all young adults who test positive for Chlamydia; and how many young adults are being re-tested after receiving treatment for Chlamydia.

Jane Ellison: In August 2013, following an evidence review and professional and public consultation, the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) updated recommended case management for those testing positive for Chlamydia to include the routine offering of re-testing, around three months after treatment. A position statement was published which summarises the consultation process and key feedback received, sets out considerations for local implementation and outlines resources to be developed by the NCSP:
	www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ps/resources/re-testing/NCSP%20Position%20Statement_Re-testing%20of%20Positiv e%20Chlamydia%20Cases_August%202013_FINAL.pdf
	Local authorities are responsible for the commissioning of Chlamydia screening and the NCSP provides the following resources to support commissioners to encourage re-testing after a Chlamydia diagnosis:
	Discussion guide for healthcare professionals:
	http://www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ps/resources/re-testing/Chlamydia%20re-testing%20discussion%20guide%20March%202014.pdf
	Models of existing practice:
	http://www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ps/resources/re-testing/Chlamydia%20re-testing%20guidance%20-%20Models%20of%20Practice%20March%202014.pdf
	A local audit tool is also in development.
	Public Health England monitors re-testing rates at seven to 14 weeks following a diagnosis using data from the genitourinary medicine clinic activity dataset (GUMCAD) and the Chlamydia testing activity dataset. Rates of re-testing following a Chlamydia diagnosis are calculated quarterly. The most recently available data are for diagnoses made between July and September 2013. Re-testing rates are reported separately for GUM and tests in other settings, as individuals cannot be identified between systems due to the anonymous nature of GUM clinic attendances.
	Re-testing rate at seven to 14 weeks after a diagnosis, among 15 to 24-year-olds, for those diagnosed between July and September 2013:
	GUM clinics: 11.8%
	Other settings: 13.1%.

Chlamydia

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 16 to 25 year olds in each local authority area (a) were tested for Chlamydia and (b) tested positive for Chlamydia in 2012-13.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the requested format.
	The number of Chlamydia tests and diagnoses in each upper tier local authority in England, for 15 to 24-year-olds, for the most recent year for which data are available (2013) has been placed in the Library.
	The number of Chlamydia tests and diagnoses in each upper tier local authority in England, for 15 to 24-year-olds for 2012 has been placed in the Library.

Chlamydia

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Chlamydia tests were supplied by (a) pharmacies, (b) GPs, (c) sexual health clinics and (d) an online service in 2012-13.

Jane Ellison: The number of Chlamydia tests by testing service type and upper tier local authority, for 15 to 24-year-olds, in England for the most recent year for which data are available (2013) has been placed in the Library.
	The number of Chlamydia tests by testing service type and upper tier local authority, for 15 to 24-year-olds, in England for 2012 has been placed in the Library.
	Tests done through online services cannot be specifically identified in the dataset and are reported to the Chlamydia Testing Activity Dataset as “other”.

Dementia

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to encourage and support research into non-drug dementia therapies; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: A range of steps are being taken to encourage and support research into non-drug dementia therapies. Research spending on dementia has increased by nearly 50% since 2010-11, and is on course to meet the Government’s target of doubling public sector research funding on dementia to £66 million by 2015. During the second year of the Prime Minister’s Challenge, research funders have implemented and enhanced initiatives to generate the research evidence needed to make a step change in prevention, treatment and care. Research on non-drug therapies represents a significant part of this effort.
	In December 2012, £22 million of National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funding was announced for 21 successful research projects that will pioneer dementia diagnosis and ground breaking treatments. Subsequently the Government allocated £20 million for research on living well with dementia (projects commencing in early 2014) with the NIHR and the Economic and Social Research Council awarding funding research grants focused on improving quality of life for people with dementia and their carers. This research programme represents the world’s largest social science research programme on dementia and care, comprising six major research studies to support living well with dementia initiatives and identifying effective interventions, in the clinic, in the nursing home, and in everyday life.
	The NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research Programme is now also calling for further applications for research funding on dementia services, to address key priorities identified following a James Lind Alliance and Alzheimer’s Society priority setting partnership between patients, carers, researchers and clinicians (held in 2013). This was broad and included all aspects of patient experience and care.
	In addition, one of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) and Units (BRUs) with dementia-related research themes, the NIHR Oxford BRC has a theme focusing on cognitive health. For this, the BRC has brought together an alliance of multi-disciplinary researchers to produce an integrated programme of translational research in cognitive health, aiming to produce benefit for patients by harnessing the lifelong adaptive ability of the brain to protect against the onset of dementia and to limit the impact of dementia on people’s lives.
	Within the award of 13 new NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care there is also considerable focus on research into non-drug approaches to dementia care.

Dementia

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's corporate plan 2014-15, what steps he is taking to meet the priority of improving treatment and care of people with dementia.

Norman Lamb: On 26 March 2012, the Prime Minister launched his Challenge on Dementia. The Challenge sets the commitment to increase diagnosis rates, raise awareness and understanding and double funding for research for dementia by 2015.
	On the 28 February 2014, the Secretary of State for Health announced his ambition for improving dementia care and support for people with dementia, their family and carers. This signalled the importance of a tailored plan of care as part of a package of high quality, personalised dementia care and support.
	The Co-chairs of the three Champion Groups supporting delivery of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia, have reported their progress to the Prime Minister on the second year of the Challenge. They have also set out their ambition for driving improvements in year three of the Challenge and beyond.
	Since the launch of the Challenge, we have also made significant progress across all three strands of the challenge, but there is still work to be done.
	As part of its presidency of the G8, the United Kingdom led an all-out global fight back against dementia. It started with a summit in London on 11 December, bringing together health and science ministers from all the G8 countries, world-leading experts and researchers, leaders of the global pharmaceutical industries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to accelerate progress towards effective treatments and cures.
	Since the Summit the Prime Minister has appointed Dr Dennis Gillings, CBE, Ph.D. as a World Dementia Envoy.
	The Department has also established the Dementia Steering Group (international). It will provide leadership and engagement across national Government on the UK’s contribution to delivery of the commitments within the 2013 G8 Dementia Summit Declaration and Communiqué.

General Practitioners

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices were (a) refurbished and (b) replaced in each of the last 10 years.

Norman Lamb: Prior to April 2013, granting funding for the refurbishment and replacement of general practitioner premises was the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs). Information pertaining to this period is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Responsibility for funding general practice premises development has now been transferred to NHS England.
	Between 1 April 2013 and 1 April 2014, more than 100 business cases for premises development were approved by NHS England. NHS England has now published Principles of Good Practice that set out how area teams should review and prioritise business case proposals, and since 1 April 2014 a further 46 business cases have been approved.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Scotland

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the decision of the Scottish Government to suspend the use of transvaginal mesh for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

Norman Lamb: The Department, NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have been working with the clinical community to address the concerns that have been raised about transvaginal mesh implants. A working group, which includes patient representatives and is chaired by NHS England, has been set up to identify ways to tackle them. The Department is not currently aware of any new evidence which would support a suspension of procedures involving vaginal mesh in advance of that group's work being taken forward.

Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 129W, on haemolytic uraemic syndrome, if he will place in the Library copies of the communications with (a) the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services of 17 January 2013 and (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence of 7 February 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 128W, on haemolytic uraemic syndrome, whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence appraisal will share NHS England's response to its request for advice with third parties with an interest in the evaluation of eculizumab; and if he will place in the Library a copy of NHS England's response to this request.

Norman Lamb: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has advised that it will publish NHS England’s response to its request for further advice in the evaluation of eculizumab (Soliris) for atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome following consideration at the next meeting of the evaluation committee. After the meeting a copy of NHS England’s response will be placed in the Library.

Health Professions: Crimes of Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attacks on healthcare professionals there have been in the last three years.

Norman Lamb: NHS Protect collates figures annually on reported physical assaults against national health service staff in England.
	Information on the number of reported physical assaults in the last three years is contained in the documents ‘Tables showing the number of reported physical assaults on NHS staff in 2010-11, broken down by NHS trust/PCT’, ‘Tables showing the number of reported physical assaults on NHS staff in 2011-12, broken down by NHS trust/PCT’ and ‘Tables showing the number of reported physical assaults on NHS staff in 2012-13, broken down by health body’ which have already been placed in the Library.
	The tables provide information on the number of reported physical assaults against NHS staff, but do not specify the number of attacks on health care professionals.

Heart Diseases

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what date NHS England intends to start patient recruitment into each of the complex invasive cardiology Commissioning through Evaluation projects;
	(2)  whether NHS England plans to limit the number of patients that can be recruited into the complex invasive cardiology Commissioning through Evaluation projects in any one year;
	(3)  what funding has been allocated to each of the invasive cardiology Commissioning through Evaluation projects in each of the next five years;
	(4)  how many patients and for how many years NHS England plans to recruit into each of the complex invasive cardiology Commissioning through Evaluation projects.

Jane Ellison: NHS England is currently progressing three commissioning through evaluation (CtE) schemes relating to invasive cardiology. A maximum full year annual budget of £9 million has been allocated, but the period of budget allocation will depend on the final length of the schemes themselves, which will be tailored with the assistance of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to capture sufficient evaluative data over the scheme period.
	NHS England has allocated funding to each of the schemes based on early estimates of patient numbers and the key evaluative questions to be answered by the end of each scheme. Patient numbers will need to be contained within these parameters.
	NHS England is currently assessing a significant number of applications from providers who have expressed an interest in acting as a participating centre in each of the three schemes. Once this process is complete, and the selected centres are confirmed, we will be able to complete contractual arrangements and confirm a “go live” date with each centre. Unfortunately we are therefore unable to give a specific date for patient recruitment to start at this stage.
	NHS England expects CtE schemes to typically run for two to three years but the final length of each of the invasive cardiology schemes is not yet finalised as they are being tailored with the assistance of NICE to capture sufficient evaluative data over the scheme period. The length of the schemes may also be influenced by early findings from the evaluation or by the publication of research data exploring similar parameters. The numbers of patients to be seen by each of the schemes is not yet finalised since it will depend on the final tariff negotiated with participating providers, and the length of each scheme.

Hepatitis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policy of the conclusion of the report by HCV Action, entitled Health and Wellbeing Boards and Hepatitis C, published in May 2014, that 52 per cent of Health and Wellbeing Board joint strategic needs assessments in England make no mention of hepatitis C;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that areas with a high prevalence of hepatitis C include measures to tackle the virus within their joint strategic needs assessments.

Jane Ellison: Officials from the Department, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England are currently discussing how hepatitis C services might be strengthened, including how local Health and Wellbeing Boards can be encouraged to include hepatitis C in their Joint Strategic Needs Assessments, where appropriate. The findings of the HCV Action report will help to inform those discussions.
	PHE is developing local profiles that include indicators of performance for hepatitis C which are aimed at local authorities and Health and Wellbeing Boards. These profiles include a summary of the issues around hepatitis C including those most at risk, as well as questions for Health and Wellbeing Boards to ask about local provision of hepatitis C services. PHE has produced a fact sheet for the Local Government Association on hepatitis B and C to support their scrutiny and oversight role.

Medical Records: Databases

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 492W, on medical records: databases, whether the What about Youth? trial survey had support under section 251 of the National Health Service Act 2006; and whether the data have now been deleted.

Daniel Poulter: The Department commissioned the Health and Social Care Information Centre to carry out the “What about YOUth?” trial survey. A trial survey to test some of the processes and methodology was undertaken and this ran from November 2013 to February 2014. Ipsos Mori was commissioned to carry out the trial survey. The trial survey did not have section 251 of the National Health Service Act (2006) support and the data have now been deleted.

Medical Treatments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have made of the effectiveness of NICE's approach to appraising highly specialised technologies.

Norman Lamb: We have made no such assessment.
	The first topic to be evaluated through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (NICE) highly specialised technologies programme, eculizumab for atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome, is currently in progress. NICE has advised that it has not yet reviewed its process for evaluating such technologies.

Medical Treatments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 152W, on prescriptions, what the most plausible cost per quality adjusted life-year was for each technology appraisal conducted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the last two years; what the estimated eligible patient population was for each appraised indication; on which appraisals end-of-life criteria were applied in each final determination; and on what date each such appraisal was (a) initiated and (b) concluded;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 151W, on prescriptions, in which technology appraisals the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence appraisal committees have considered the range of the ICERs in the last 24 months; and which ranges have been so considered.

Jane Ellison: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Medical Treatments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 152W, on prescriptions, above what period of time the costs of providing the information requested become disproportionate.

Norman Lamb: Based on calculations by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the information requested by the hon. Member could only be provided for the four years from June 2010 without incurring disproportionate cost.

Medical Treatments

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that non-pharmacological treatments are subject to the same level of scrutiny as medicinal treatments.

Norman Lamb: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces evidence-based guidance and advice for health, public health and social care practitioners on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. AH work undertaken by NICE is subject to the same high level of scrutiny consideration.

Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2014, Official Report, column 102W, on mental illness, when the National Centre for Social Research will report on its findings for the 2014 Adult Psychological Morbidity survey.

Norman Lamb: The 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey is due to report by end of March 2017.

Pancreatic Cancer

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department allocated for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: Data are not available at the level of detail being requested. However, information is shown in the following table on the spend on upper gastrointestinal and “other” cancers for the period stated.
	
		
			 Estimated expenditure on upper gastrointestinal cancers and “other” cancers, 2008-09 to 2012-13 
			 £ billion (2012-13 prices) 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Cancers and tumours—Upper gastrointestinal 0.24 0.28 0.20 0.20 1.55 
			 Cancers and tumours—Other 2.21 2.57 2.95 3.00 0.63 
			 Source: Programme budgeting data, NHS England. 
		
	
	It should be noted that the data are not a reliable source for making year on year comparisons due to changes to the data collection methodology.
	Further, not all expenditure can be allocated to a disease based category—therefore some expenditure will be allocated as “miscellaneous”. General practitioner expenditure is also not included within the estimates.

Pancreatic Cancer

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has allocated for research into pancreatic cancer in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Norman Lamb: The Department is fully committed to clinical and applied research into cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and the national health service, value for money and scientific quality.
	The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) is a United Kingdom-wide partnership between the Government, charity and industry which promotes co-operation in cancer research among the 22 member organisations. An analysis of spend data submitted by NCRI partners covering the period from 2002 to 2011 is available on the NCRI website at:
	www.ncri.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2013-NCRI-Cancer-research-spend-in-the-UK-2002-2011_data-package.xlsx
	This analysis includes data for all cancer research, for site-specific research and for individual sites including pancreatic cancer. Between 2002 and 2011, the proportion of site-specific funding spent on pancreatic cancer research almost doubled.
	In August 2011, the Government announced £800 million investment over five years in a series of NIHR Biomedical Research Centres and Units, including £61.5 million funding for the Royal Marsden/Institute of Cancer Research Biomedical Research Centre, and £6.5 million funding for the Liverpool Biomedical Research Unit in gastrointestinal disease (which has a major focus on pancreatic cancer). Some research they conduct is relevant to multiple cancer sites.
	The UK Clinical Research Network Portfolio Database currently has 15 studies in pancreatic cancer listed.

Valuation of Life and Health Interdepartmental Group

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's submission to the Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health review and the evidence submitted to the series of interviews with his Department's personnel conducted by researchers from the University of Leeds and published in 2008.

Norman Lamb: The Inter-departmental Group for the Valuation of Life and Health (IDGVLH) is a group of economists from different Government Departments set up in December 2007 to consider technical issues relating to the valuation of impacts upon life and health risks. The Terms of Reference of the group included a survey of approaches to the valuation of such risks and the production of draft guidance for submission to HM Treasury. Although membership of the Group was sought from any Department with an interest, membership is personal and not departmental. Hence the submissions to the IDGVLH and responses to the survey that it commissioned are those of the individual members as experts in this field and in the operational practice of their departments, and do not necessarily represent the views of their departments. Records of the interviews conducted by the University of Leeds (other than what is incorporated into the report itself) were not kept by the Department.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Harrogate

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency were enrolled in adult skills training in each of the last 10 years.

Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of adults (19+) participating in government-funded further education and skills by parliamentary constituency is published in a Supplementary Table, entitled ‘FE and skills: overall achievement by geography and equality and diversity—2002/03 to 2011/12’, to a Statistical First Release (SFR). Data by parliamentary constituency are available from 2005/06 onwards.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284026/January2013_OverallFEandSkillsParticipation.xls

Agriculture: Government Assistance

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on business support to farmers, excluding Common Agricultural Policy payments, in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2013-14.

Matthew Hancock: There are a number of business support schemes available to small businesses, including farmers. However, the Department does not collect data on individual spend to farmers on its business support schemes. Since May 2010, the Department has routinely published details of all expenditure including funding provided through departmental schemes and programmes. Additionally, the Department’s annual report and accounts also provide summary information on a range of programmes that include direct and indirect support to all businesses. The most recent annual report can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bis-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-to-2013

Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentices have been hired under his Department's new contract for procurement.

Jennifer Willott: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold central records of apprenticeships created as a direct result of contracts that it has awarded.

Apprentices

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships his Department has created during the last four years.

Jennifer Willott: BIS has created a total of 69 apprenticeships during the last four years.

Apprentices: Greater London

Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships have been started in (a) London, (b) the London Borough of Hounslow and (c) Brentford and Isleworth constituency since May 2010.

Matthew Hancock: Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by geography is published by academic year in a Supplementary Table, entitled ‘Breakdown by geography, equality and diversity and sector subject area: starts 2002/03 to 2012/13’, to a Statistical First Release (SFR):
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships--2
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/298401/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-learner-demographics-and-sector-subject-area.xls

Bankruptcy: Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Harlow constituency have been declared bankrupt in each of the last 10 years.

Jennifer Willott: Figures are not available at the level of detail requested.
	Official statistics covering corporate insolvencies for England and Wales are not available at sub-national level, as the data supplied to the Insolvency Service do not include location information. The latest national level figures are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/insolvency-statistics-january-to-march-2014
	Official statistics covering individual insolvencies are available at the level of parliamentary constituencies, but do not separately identify bankruptcies where the individual was self-employed. The latest figures, covering the period 2000 to 2012, are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/insolvency-statistics-individual-insolvencies-by-region.
	An update to this publication, covering the calendar year 2013, will be published as a statistical release on Thursday 10 July 2014.

Comet Group

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the collapse of Comet arising from (a) former employees' redundancy payments, (b) payments to the administrator for its fees and (c) payments to the administrator for creditors.

Jennifer Willott: The Insolvency Service's redundancy payments services have paid £12,767,464.67 in respect of statutory redundancy payments, and a total of £18,482,220 so far for all statutory entitlements to 4,838 former employees of Comet Group plc.
	Payments of fees to the administrators and in respect to any distribution to the general body of creditors are not made from the public purse. These come out of funds within the insolvency estate from the realisation of the company's assets.

Companies: Ownership

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the proposed beneficial ownership registry will properly identify the real controlling parties of all companies listed.

Jennifer Willott: The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will make provision for the implementation of a central registry of company beneficial ownership information. The legislation will set out the obligations and sanctions that will apply to companies and others to ensure that the central registry contains information on the ultimate owners and controllers of UK companies.

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of zero hour contracts on workers' wellbeing.

Jennifer Willott: No assessment of the effects of zero hours contracts on worker’s wellbeing has been made by this Department. However the Workplace Employers Relations Study (WERS) found that overall well-being of employees increased between 2004 and 2011 despite the recession. Overall job satisfaction also increased and is very high by international standards.
	Zero hour contracts have a place in today’s labour market, supporting business flexibility, making it easier to hire new staff and providing pathways to employment for young people.
	Following a public consultation, which closed in March this year, this Government have introduced legislation via the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill to ban the use of exclusivity clauses in contracts which do not guarantee any hours.

Disabled Students' Allowances

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funds his Department will make available to universities as a result of transferring responsibility for the disabled students allowance to them.

David Willetts: Higher education institutions already have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students under the Equality Act 2010. The recently announced changes consider how the balance of responsibility between reasonable adjustments and support provided through disabled students allowances (DSAs) should change. DSAs will remain available for students to complement the reasonable adjustments provided by the institution.
	The Government also provide annual funding to higher education institutions through the teaching grant. The student opportunity fund is part of the overall teaching grant allocated to higher education institutions by HEFCE. This funding element to support disabled students rose to £15 million for 2013/14, an increase of £2 million on the previous year, and has been maintained for 2014/15. There are no plans to transfer additional funds.

Disabled Students' Allowances: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in (a) Warrington and (b) Warrington North constituency are in receipt of disabled students' allowance.

David Willetts: Information on students awarded and paid Disabled Students’ Allowance is published annually by Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education England’. The latest statistics are available at the following link:
	http://www.slc.co.uk/media/694170/slcsfr052013.pdf
	A further breakdown for Warrington North constituency and Warrington LEA has been provided in the table for the academic year 2012/13. Equivalent figures for the academic year 2013/14 will be available from November 2014.
	
		
			 Students in receipt of disabled students allowance1 from Warrington LEA and Warrington North constituency, academic year 2012/13, effective date: 13 November 2013 
			 Number of applications paid 
			  Application Type 
			 Area Full-Time Application Part-Time Application Post Graduate DSA Total 
			 Warrington LEA2 190 10 10 210 
		
	
	
		
			 Warrington North Constituency2 100 * 10 110 
			 ‘*’ = Represents a number less than 5. 1 Disabled student allowance may be paid to the student or to a supplier on the student's behalf. 2 Figures are derived from the post code of the applicant's home address. Notes: 1. The effective date is that of the November 2013 Awards Statistical First Release. The figures are therefore provisional and do not include students who were awarded DSA after November 2013. 2. DSA Payments may be made at any point during the academic year or after the end of the academic year. 3. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not add to the sum of the components due to rounding.

EU External Trade: Kenya

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects on access of Kenyan products to the UK of (a) ratification and (b) non-ratification by the East African Region of an interim economic partnership agreement with the EU.

Michael Fallon: Ratification of either an interim or comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) would mean the European Commission undertakes procedures allowing Kenya to receive duty-free, quota-free access on its exports to the EU. Non-ratification of an EPA would mean that some Kenyan products would face tariffs when exported to the EU from 1 October 2014. Between 2008 and 2012, Kenyan exports to the UK had an average annual value of $520 million. Without an EPA, BIS officials have estimated that $300 million of Kenyan exports would remain duty-free. $220 million of Kenyan exports to the UK would face tariffs costing around $14 million per annum. These new charges would mostly affect exports of vegetables and cut flowers.
	Negotiations of EPAs have been ongoing for the previous 12 years. UK Ministers are working closely with partners in Europe and East Africa to encourage urgent ratification of a development friendly agreement.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints to the Groceries Code Adjudicator by farmers have been (a) made and (b) upheld to date.

Jennifer Willott: The responsibilities of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA)—as set out in the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013—do not extend to acting as a complaints body. No formal complaints of the type described have therefore been received.
	The Adjudicator has, however, received representations from many farmers concerning their experiences when dealing with the large retailers covered by the GCA regime; and information provided by farmers and by other suppliers will help to inform the GCA's future activities.

Higher Education: Student Wastage

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of retention rates at learning providers with designated course status.

David Willetts: No estimate of retention rates at alternative providers has yet been made. The designation conditions that apply from 2014/15 onwards require alternative providers to provide a data return to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). These data once available will help inform BIS decisions on designations and enable the Department to estimate retention rates across the sector.

Insolvency

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to improve competition in the Insolvency Practitioner market.

Jennifer Willott: The Government are taking a number of steps in this area:
	A measure in the Deregulation Bill will introduce the option for an insolvency practitioner to specialise in either corporate or individual insolvency. This will encourage new entrants into the profession, which will benefit creditors without lowering standards;
	There are a number of red tape challenge measures in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill which will reduce costs and remove unnecessary processes in insolvency cases;
	Also in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill are measures which will strengthen the regulatory framework for insolvency practitioners to boost confidence in the regime;
	The Government have also been consulting on measures to improve the transparency and accountability of how fees are charged by insolvency practitioners.

Insolvency

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how he plans to measure the insolvency industry's success in voluntarily implementing the recommendations of the Graham Review.

Jennifer Willott: Teresa Graham's review of pre-pack administration identified how existing practice in pre-pack administration did not in all cases deliver the best result for creditors and the wider economy, in particular where sales are made to a connected party.
	The Government hope that the voluntary measures recommended in Ms Graham's report-all of which were accepted by Government-will be put into effect by those concerned as envisaged by Ms Graham.
	After they have had time to have effect, the Government will evaluate whether they have indeed addressed the concerns evidenced by Ms Graham and the resulting outcomes. This will include for example whether the measures have increased transparency, returns to creditors, and more generally strengthened business confidence in the pre-pack process.
	As recommended by Ms Graham, the Government will be taking a backstop power in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill so we will be able to legislate in future if necessary.

Insolvency

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has held with the Insolvency Service on the implementation of the recommendations made in the Graham Review on pre-pack administration.

Jennifer Willott: Officials in the Insolvency Service regularly advise me on the full range of insolvency policy matters, including on pre-pack administration when required.

Low Pay

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to safeguard the economic position of people on low pay.

Jennifer Willott: Our main labour market policy to improve the position of the low paid is the national minimum wage. We have asked the Low Pay Commission to review and recommend minimum wage rates for 2015 that maximise wages without damaging employment.
	We have also increased the focus on compliance and enforcement of the national minimum wage in order to ensure that those entitled to it, receive it.
	In addition to the national minimum wage we are raising the personal tax allowance so that people take home more of what they earn.

Minimum Wage

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will carry out an assessment of the positive and negative effects of setting the minimum wage at £10 per hour.

Jennifer Willott: It is the role of the independent Low Pay Commission to make national minimum wage rate recommendations that maximise earnings, without damaging employment prospects.
	The national minimum wage for those aged 21 and over is currently £6.31, rising to £6.50 from 1 October 2014. Given the remit of the Low Pay Commission, we can conclude that they would consider that a higher rate would have a negative impact on employment.
	In its 2015 recommendations, the Government have asked the Low Pay Commission to consider whether we are entering a new phase where real term increases in the national minimum wage can be afforded without damaging employment rates.

Minimum Wage

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what resources have been allocated for enforcement action against employers who do not pay the national minimum wage.

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what resources have been allocated for enforcement action against employers who do not pay the national minimum wage.

Jennifer Willott: The Government are committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have 173 staff dedicated to the enforcement of the national minimum wage.
	The Government are already taking tougher action on employers that break minimum wage law. We have made it simpler to name and shame employers that do not pay the national minimum wage and increased the financial penalty that employers pay for breaking the law.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of loans issued to students from other EU member states in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Willetts: Statistics on student support expenditure are published annually by the Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education in England’. The latest statistics, published in November 2013, are available at the following link:
	http://www.slc.co.uk/media/694170/slcsfr052013.pdf
	The value of tuition fee loans issued to borrowers domiciled in the EU prior to their course was £166.5 million, whereas £4,117.1 million was issued to borrowers domiciled in England. These estimates include borrowers under both the pre- and post-2012/13 student finance arrangements.
	Statistics referring to the academic year 2013/14 will be published in November 2014.

Postal Services

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the proportion of UK addresses end-to-end postal delivery companies would need to cover before there is a threat to the financial sustainability of the universal service.

Jennifer Willott: Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament gave Ofcom, as an independent regulator for postal services, the primary statutory duty to secure the provision of the universal service and to this end Ofcom must have regard for the financial sustainability of the universal service.
	Last year, following a consultation, Ofcom, as the independent regulator for postal services, set out its guidance on its approach to intervening in response to a material threat to the provision of the universal service.
	Ofcom has made clear that if its ongoing monitoring regime, which keeps the situation under continual review and allows for any new evidence, does not prompt the need for any earlier assessment, it will as a matter of course carry out a full assessment of the impact of competition on the universal service towards the end of 2015.
	More information about Ofcom’s regulatory regime can be found on its website:
	www.ofcom.org.uk

Postal Services

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the time it would take for Ofcom to undertake a review of the effects of end-to-end competition on the universal service.

Jennifer Willott: Last year, following a consultation, Ofcom, as the independent regulator for postal services, set out its guidance on its approach to intervening in response to a material threat to the universal service.
	Ofcom has made clear that if its ongoing monitoring regime, which keeps the situation under continual review and allows for any new evidence, does not prompt the need for any earlier assessment, it will as a matter of course carry out a full assessment of the impact of competition on the universal service towards the end of 2015.
	Ofcom’s comprehensive monitoring regime is forward looking, based on business plans of Royal Mail and other postal operators, and as set out in its guidance, appropriate intervention could be taken within six to nine months of identifying a potential risk to the provision of the universal service. More information about Ofcom’s regulatory regime can be found on its website:
	www.ofcom.org.uk

Postal Services

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the change in mail volumes to the universal service provider in the NW postcode area as a result of end-to-end competition.

Jennifer Willott: Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament gave Ofcom, as an independent regulator, the powers and tools it needs to assess risks to the universal service and to take appropriate action if the provision of the universal service is ever at serious risk.
	Ofcom has a comprehensive monitoring regime in place and it has the powers to take appropriate action if it considers the universal service to be at risk. More information about Ofcom’s regulatory regime can be found on its website:
	www.ofcom.org.uk

Students: Loans

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his latest estimate is of the RAB charge for (a) student loans after 2012, (b) loans issued to part-time students, (c) loans issued to students in the Affiliated Loan Programme for Students, (d) Advanced-Learner Loans and (e) loans issued to non-English EU students.

David Willetts: We estimate the RAB charge on student loans issued after 2012 to be around 45%. We estimate the RAB charge for loans issued to part-time students to be around 65%.
	We do not estimate a separate RAB charge for students at Alternative Providers.
	The 2012 impact assessment on the introduction of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans stated that we anticipated this RAB charge would be 60% of the total loan amount. Now that we are beginning to receive figures on actual learner numbers, we are reviewing the assumptions within the RAB charge model. An updated estimate of the RAB charge on 24+ Advanced Loans will be published in July 2014 in the BIS Accounts.
	We do not estimate a separate RAB charge for non-English EU students.
	The actual cost of issuing student loans will be dependent on future macro-economic circumstances, in particular earnings and we will continue to update our forecasts on a regular basis to take account of changes to short-term and long-term macro-economic assumptions.

Trade Promotion: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps UK Trade & Investment took to promote Northern Ireland businesses at the International Festival for Business in Liverpool.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has encouraged participation by UK businesses from throughout the UK at the International Festival for Business (IFB).
	UKTI officials briefed representatives from the three devolved Administrations, including Invest Northern Ireland, on plans and preparations for the IFB in September 2013. UKTI subsequently facilitated meetings in London and Belfast, between senior IFB managers and Invest Northern Ireland, to discuss the detail of Invest NI’s engagement with the Festival.
	All events at IFB have been, and are continuing to be, advertised and promoted to companies in Northern Ireland through the IFB and gov.uk/ukti websites.

Voluntary Work: Schools

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage businesses to free up their staff to volunteer in local schools.

Matthew Hancock: In the Careers Inspiration Vision Statement, launched in September 2013, we stated that we believe employers and schools must do more in partnership together and that the best mentoring and motivation comes from people in jobs. The revised statutory guidance to schools on careers reflects this. We have been working with key organisations that deliver inspirational careers activity. This, alongside the improved National Careers Service, will make it easier for businesses to identify opportunities to volunteer in schools and to recognise the benefits such as a more well-informed future workforce.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will ensure that all asylum interviews are routinely audio and video recorded.

Karen Bradley: The Home Office is required to allow claimants, with some exceptions, to have their asylum interviews electronically recorded on request. The request to record the interview is at the discretion of the claimant. The invitation to interview letter advises eligible claimants to inform the asylum office if they wish the interview to be recorded, and to provide a minimum of 24 hours notice of their request to avoid a delay on the day. For those in detention, at least three days notice must be provided. We recognise that digitally recording asylum interviews has the potential to bring benefits to both asylum seekers and to the Home Office and we are currently exploring this as an option for the future.

Asylum: Housing

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to ensure that accommodation provided by the COMPASS contracts meets the Decent Homes Standards.

Karen Bradley: It is a statutory requirement that social housing meets the Decent Homes Standard as defined in the Housing Act 2004.
	All COMPASS contracts incorporate the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard for social housing as part of the contractual performance management arrangements and are robustly monitored through three key performance indicators which relate specifically to property standards.
	Providers are required to inspect all properties on a monthly basis or at the point when a service user first occupies the property. In addition, the Home Office has a team of 17 contract compliance officers who also closely monitor property standards as part of their contract compliance and assurance role.
	Any failure of the critical service levels may result in financial penalties.

Asylum: Housing

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to ensure that asylum seekers in COMPASS accommodation are able to register complaints quickly and easily.

Karen Bradley: The COMPASS contracts lay down requirements for the management of enquiries and complaints received in respect of accommodation services provided to asylum seekers.
	COMPASS providers have a complaints service in place through which the asylum seeker, their representative, the voluntary sector or local authorities can raise concerns or issues direct. Providers also provide asylum seekers with a detailed briefing on how they can raise a complaint as part of the move in process. Asylum seekers can raise a complaint in a confidential way, and with the assistance of an interpreter when required.
	The complaints process is subject to performance management under the Key Performance Indicators regime. Providers are required to report their performance in terms of dealing with complaints on a monthly basis. In addition, the Home Office has a team of 17 contract compliance officers who also closely monitor complaints made to providers or made direct to the Home Office as part of their contract compliance and assurance role.
	Any failure of the critical service levels may result in financial penalties.

Domestic Violence

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans her Department has to bring forward proposals to criminalise coercive control and psychological abuse for the purpose of protection of victims of domestic violence;
	(2)  what plans her Department has in response to the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Inquiry into police response to domestic violence in creating a culture change towards domestic violence.

Norman Baker: Last September, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to conduct a review of the response to domestic abuse across all police forces. HMIC published its findings in March 2014, emphasising that the key priority is a culture change in the police so that domestic violence and abuse is treated as the crime that it is and that the police use the full range of tools already available to them.
	In response to the Review, the Home Secretary has established a new national oversight group, which she is chairing, and on which I sit, to oversee delivery against each of HMIC’s recommendations. Their first meeting was held on 10 June. The Home Secretary has also written to chief constables making it clear that every police force must have an action plan in place by September 2014.
	There are a number of offences that make domestic abuse illegal, including actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and assault. Assault can extend to non-physical harm. This Government has introduced stalking and harassment legislation which can apply to coercive control and psychological abuse. However, the Government will continue to consider what measures will drive culture change in the police in response to the findings of the HMIC review.

Domestic Violence

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department is taking to help end domestic abuse and violence against women.

Norman Baker: Domestic violence is a dreadful form of abuse and is not acceptable within our society. The coalition Government’s approach to tackling domestic violence and abuse is set out in its Violence against Women and Girls Action Plan, updated in March 2014.
	In 2013, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to undertake a comprehensive review on how the police deal with domestic violence and abuse. HMIC’s report exposed significant failings. In response to the Review, the Home Secretary has established a National Oversight Group, which she is chairing, and on which I sit, to ensure HMIC’s recommendations are acted upon. The Group met for the first time on 10 June. The Home Secretary has also written to chief constables making it clear that every police force must have an action plan in place by September 2014, to improve their response to domestic violence and abuse.
	The Government is committed to ensuring that the police and other agencies have the tools necessary to tackle domestic violence, to bring offenders to justice and to ensure victims have the support they need to rebuild their lives. On 8 March 2014, the Government announced the national roll-out of Domestic Violence Protection Orders following the successful conclusion of a one-year pilot in three police force areas including Wiltshire, as well as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme following the successful conclusion in September 2013 of a one-year pilot in four police force areas—once again including Wiltshire.

Marriage Certificates

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislative proposals to allow mothers' names to be recorded on marriage certificates; if she will bring forward proposals to permit mothers' names to be retrospectively added to existing marriage certificates; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: We are currently considering how the information contained in the marriage entry can be updated to include this, and to reflect changes since the coming into force of the Registration of Marriages Regulations 1986, as well as the most suitable opportunity for doing so.

Marriage Certificates

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential cost to her Department of including mothers' names on marriage certificates.

Karen Bradley: The marriage certificate is an exact copy of the marriage entry which is in a form prescribed in the Registration of Marriage Regulations 1986. We are currently considering how the information captured in the marriage entry can be updated to reflect changes since 1986, as well as including the names of mothers; the costs of doing so and the most suitable opportunity for doing so.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the support cost over 15 years of (a) 1gw of field solar generating capacity procured with renewable obligation certificate or Contract for Difference support, (b) 1gw of biomass generating capacity procured with renewable obligation certificate or Contract for Difference support and (c) 1gw of gas fired power station capacity procured with capacity market payment support.

Michael Fallon: In order to make a fair comparison between the RO and CfD, my officials have looked at the differences in support costs between the two support mechanisms over the full support period (20 years for the RO, 15 years for CfDs) for solar and biomass combined heat and power.
	The Government also support biomass conversions under both the RO and CfDs. Given that the Government support for biomass conversion ends on 1 April 2027, support costs for biomass conversions have been modelled over 11 years (from 2016-17).
	
		
			 Table 1: Comparison of Total Discounted RO and CfD Support Costs 
			 £ million 
			 £2012 Renewables Obligation (RO) (20 years) Contracts for Difference (CfDs) (15 years) 
			 1GW of Solar PV (>5MW) 772 529 
			 1GW of Biomass CHP 7,147 5,154 
		
	
	
		
			 £ million 
			 £2012 Renewables Obligation (RO) (11 years) Contracts for Difference (CfDs) (11 years) 
			 1GW of Biomass Conversions 2,620 2,325 
			 Note: Estimates based on new capacity commissioning in financial year 2016-17. Values are in £2012 real prices and discounted to the first year of generation (2016-17), using the Government’s 3.5% discount rate. 
		
	
	It is not possible to directly compare renewables support costs (offered via the Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference), with support costs offered via the capacity market, as support under the Capacity Market is offered only for capacity and does not vary directly with the amount of generation produced by a plant.
	Under the Capacity Market, all successful capacity will receive the clearing price of the auction in which they bid. The first capacity market delivery year is in 2018-19. Our latest estimate of the average clearing price over the first 15 years of the Capacity Market is £34/kW/year (in 2012 prices). For 1GW of de-rated capacity this corresponds to £500 million over 15 years.

Energy

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which levy control framework constraints have required him to move an early administrative allocation model for Contract for Difference auctions to an auction arrangement.

Michael Fallon: The reasons for introducing competition for Contracts for Difference earlier than previously proposed are the potential to improve value for money (including by managing expenditure within the Levy Control Framework cap) and drive innovation; and because the strong development of the renewables pipeline has helped to create appropriate conditions for competition. In developing our proposals we have also been mindful of the final EU Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy 2014-20 published on 9 April 2014.

Energy: Prices

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of how much renewables subsidies (a) added to industrial electricity bills in 2012-13 and (b) affected the wholesale price of energy.

Gregory Barker: In March 2013 DECC published an assessment of the impact of climate change and energy polices on electricity and gas prices and consumer bills1. The report estimated that, in 2013, support costs for renewables added around 10% to electricity bills for energy intensive users (8% in relation to the renewables obligation (RO) and 2% in relation to the small-scale feed-in tariffs (FIT)).
	Increased deployment of low-carbon generation, including renewables, which typically have low generating (and therefore operating) costs, helps to put downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices. It is not possible to split out the impact of renewable support policies on these wholesale price effects from other drivers such as, for example, the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). However, the March 2013 report estimated that the overall wholesale price impact of all low-carbon policies was a reduction in the wholesale price faced by industry of around 30p/MWh in 2013.
	The Government recognise the particular competitiveness issues faced by some industries in terms of their energy costs and have acted to mitigate the impact of energy policies on those industries. This includes the announcement, as part of the 2014 budget that the Government intend to compensate those energy-intensive industries most at risk of higher electricity prices resulting from the RO and the FIT schemes. We expect that compensation will begin in 2016-17, subject to EU state aid clearance.
	1 Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-impacts-of-energy-and-climate-change-policies-on-energy-prices-and-bills

Energy: Prices

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he has taken to assess whether the whole of the reduction in costs levied for investment in renewables has been passed on to consumers by energy suppliers.

Michael Fallon: In December 2013 the Government announced a package of measures to reduce household bills by an average of around £50 in 2014 compared to what they would have been. The package consisted of a £12 government electricity rebate which will be delivered to customers of all licensed domestic electricity suppliers in autumn 2014 and 2015, proposed changes to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which will result in £30-£35 off bills, on average, this year and voluntary action by electricity distribution network companies to reduce network costs in 2014-15, which will allow a further one-off reduction of an average of around £5 on electricity bills. All of the big 6 have announced how they will be passing the benefits on to consumers. This is set out in an Energy UK publication available here:
	http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/3-factsheets-and-guides/1106-eco-changes-major-energy-suppliers.html

Fracking

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of (a) the extent to which the future use of shale gas could reduce carbon emissions and (b) how this could contribute to the Government's target for an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Michael Fallon: In September 2013, DECC published a study by Professor David MacKay and Dr Tim Stone which gathered the available evidence on the potential greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from shale gas production and use in the UK and discussed the compatibility of shale gas production and use with UK and global climate change targets. The study concluded that with the right safeguards in place the net effect on GHG emissions from shale gas production in the UK will be relatively small. Indeed emissions from the production and transport of UK shale gas are likely to be lower than imported liquefied natural gas and gas piped from outside Europe, which shale gas is expected to replace.
	DECC’s Gas Generation Strategy (2012) and Heat Strategy (2013) both set out the important role gas has to play to maintain adequate capacity margins, meet demand and provide supply-side flexibility while keeping emissions within the limits set out in the carbon budgets to 2030 and beyond. We need further drilling and testing to establish how much shale gas will be recoverable, but it is likely that domestically produced shale gas would contribute to the overall natural gas mix that is used for both heat and electricity generation, replacing some imported and slightly higher carbon liquefied natural gas.

Housing: Energy

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of off-grid households in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland are located within 500 metres of the gas grid.

Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 June 2014, Official Report, columns 235-36W.

Radioactive Waste

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has co-sponsored with its US, French and German counterparts at the Sandia National Laboratory into the safety and security of spent nuclear fuel casks; and if he will publish details of the reports arising from such research.

Michael Fallon: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has not funded any co-sponsored research with US, French and German counterparts, at the US Sandia National Laboratories into the safety and security of spent nuclear fuel casks.

Renewable Energy

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was spent on subsidies for renewable energy over the last three years; and what proportion of that amount was paid for by (a) domestic and (b) industrial electricity bills.

Gregory Barker: The total cost of the two existing schemes to promote renewable electricity—the renewables obligation (RO) and the feed-in tariffs (FIT) scheme—was £1,300 million in 2010-11, £1,609 million in 2011-12 and £2,498 million in 2012-13 (figures not adjusted for inflation).
	DECC's methodology for estimating the impact of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and consumer bills assumes that the costs of supporting renewable energy faced by energy suppliers are passed on in full to consumers (domestic and non-domestic). In the absence of firm evidence on differential cost pass-through, it is assumed that costs are spread over UK electricity sales on an equal per MWh basis.
	Given the respective shares of total UK electricity consumption, this implies that households bear approximately one-third of the total UK costs of supporting renewables and that non-domestic consumers (which includes the commercial and public sectors as well as industry) bear the remaining two-thirds. The precise method of cost pass-through will vary between energy suppliers depending on their own tariff structure and approach to cost mark-up.

Renewables Obligation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, columns 763-64, on the renewables obligation, when he intends to introduce price competitions for Contracts for Difference; and what assessment he has made of whether the economics of onshore wind will change once this new system is introduced.

Gregory Barker: The Government intend to move to auctioning of contracts for difference (CfDs) for at least those technologies classified as ‘established' (such as onshore wind) from the first allocation round in October 2014.
	The Government Response to the consultation on our approach to competitive allocation of CfDs published on 13 May 2014, set out our view that there is some scope for further cost reduction in the onshore wind sector, and that the evidence from UK developers suggests that in the years to 2020, the most significant contributor to reduced costs in the UK is likely to be a constrained and competitive allocation framework under which only the lower-cost projects come forward.

Renewables Obligation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, column 764W, on wind power, whether the Government's decision that there will be no further review of the renewables obligation scheme before it closes to new generation on 31 March 2017 would stand if it were found that (a) wind turbines and (b) other particular renewables could be competitive without subsidies.

Gregory Barker: The answer of 4 March 2014, Official Report, column 764W, on wind power, explained that there is no further comprehensive banding review planned for the renewables obligation (RO) scheme before it closes to new generation on 31 March 2017.
	However, as a principle of responsible budget management, we keep under review whether any further targeted actions or banding reviews for specific technologies may be necessary as a result of, for example, technology costs falling faster than expected. This helps to ensure value for public money and protection of consumers from unnecessary costs.

Secondment

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many employees of the big six energy companies are currently seconded to his Department.

Gregory Barker: There are currently no employees, seconded from any of the big six energy companies, working in the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Wind Power

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 167W, on wind power: electrical substations, what constitutes a nationally significant infrastructure proposal (a) generally and (b) in relation to onshore wind farms.

Gregory Barker: The Planning Act 2008 defines what can be included in an application for development consent for a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP). Electricity substations are not categorised as NSIPs in their own right but, under the Act, can be included in an application for development consent for such a project if they can be considered as associated development in England.
	In addition, substations may be included in applications for generating stations (including onshore wind farms) under the Act if they are integral to the main development.

Wind Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 5 March 2014, Official Report, column 841W, on wind power, what the equivalent figures for spending on subsidies for onshore and offshore wind were for (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and whether he expects to see an increase or decrease in the level of spending in each category in 2013-14.

Gregory Barker: The cost of supporting onshore and offshore wind through the renewables obligation in 2010-11 and 2011-12 was as follows (figures not adjusted for inflation):
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2010-11 2011-12 
			 Onshore wind 398 483 
			 Offshore wind 254 371 
		
	
	Some small-scale onshore wind was also supported by the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs), but FITs costs are not available disaggregated by technology.
	Outturn data are not yet available for spend in 2013-14, but we would expect an increase in the total level of support for each technology as there was a higher level of deployment.

Wind Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average proportion of time is that (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind turbines produce energy.

Gregory Barker: Information on the hours of operation of individual wind turbines is not held centrally.
	However, information on load factors, which express the average quantity of electricity produced as a percentage of the maximum achievable (based on installed capacity) are published in table 6.5 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics, and table 6.1 of Energy Trends; copies of both these publications are available in the House Library and on the gov.uk website.
	The March 2014 edition of Energy Trends showed average load factors for the last quarter of 2013 were 36.9% for onshore turbines and 46.1% for offshore turbines. Data for the first quarter of 2014 will be contained in the next edition of Energy Trends, being released on 26 June 2014.

JUSTICE

Acklington Prison

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours per week prisoners in HM Prison Acklington spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the latest date for which data are available.

Jeremy Wright: Up until the end of 2011-12 information was collected on the average hours per weekday that prisoners were unlocked. By subtracting the average hours unlocked from the 24 hours in a day it is possible to estimate hours spent locked in cells. Figures for each prison establishment for the three years from 2009-10 to 2011-12 have been placed in the Library of the House.
	HMP Acklington merged with HMP Castington to form HMP Northumberland in 2011-12.
	It should be noted that time in cell includes hours when prisoners are asleep. Time unlocked includes time where a prisoner is either out of their cell or where the cell door is unlocked allowing them to move freely in and out of the cell. Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Time unlocked was discontinued as a performance indicator for prisons at the end of 2011-12 because it was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting the data. Indicators introduced into prison SLAs in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of efforts to prepare prisoners for release and reduce reoffending. Figures for time in cell for the years 2012-13 and 2013-14 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully while they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.
	The number of prisoners working in industrial activity across public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda and have reported that they delivered over 1.5 million prisoner working hours in commercial and industrial workshops in 2012-13 which provided work for over 1,200 prisoners. In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.
	Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf
	The establishment-level breakdown of weekly hours worked is not available centrally for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.
	Information on the proportion of prisoners classed as unemployed is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Blakenhurst Prison

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours per week prisoners in HM Prison Blakenhurst spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the latest date for which data are available.

Jeremy Wright: Up until the end of 2011-12 information was collected on the average hours per weekday that prisoners were unlocked. By subtracting the average hours unlocked from the 24 hours in a day it is possible to estimate hours spent locked in cell. Figures for each prison establishment for the three years from 2009-10 to 2011-12 have been placed in the Library of the House.
	HMP Blakenhurst merged with HMP Hewell Grange and HMP Brockhill to form HMP Hewell in 2008-09.
	It should be noted that time in cell includes hours when prisoners are asleep. Time unlocked includes time where a prisoner is either out of their cell or where the cell door is unlocked allowing them to move freely in and out of the cell. Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Time unlocked was discontinued as a performance indicator for prisons at the end of 2011-12 because it was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting the data. Indicators introduced into prison SLAs in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of efforts to prepare prisoners for release and reduce reoffending. Figures for time in cell for the years 2012-13 and 2013-14 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully while they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.
	The number of prisoners working in industrial activity across public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda and have reported that they delivered over 1.5 million prisoner working hours in commercial and industrial workshops in 2012-13 which provided work for over 1,200 prisoners. In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.
	Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf
	The establishment-level breakdown of weekly hours worked is not available centrally for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.
	Information on the proportion of prisoners classed as unemployed is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Community Orders: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Ashfield constituency convicted of each category of offence received community sentences in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: Since 2010, crime has continued to fall and fewer individuals are entering the criminal justice system for the first time. The Government are committed to transforming the way that offenders are dealt with in the community and have legislated so that all community orders must now have a punitive element as well as requirements that are effective at preventing further offending.
	Information available centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by parliamentary constituency.

Crime

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were (a) cautioned, (b) proceeded against and (c) convicted of an offence under the provisions of the (i) Game Act 1831, (ii) Deer Act 1991, (iii) Protection of Badgers Act 1992, (iv) Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, (v) Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, (vi) Animal Welfare Act 2006, (vii) Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 and Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, (viii) Hunting Act 2004, (ix) Night Poaching Act 1828, (x) Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997, (xi) Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, (xii) Pests Act 1954 and (xiii) Conservation of Seals Act 1970 in each year since 2009.

Damian Green: The number of offenders cautioned and defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences (all in England and Wales from 2009 to 2013) under the Game Act 1831 can be viewed in Table 1, under the Deer Act 1991 in Table 2, under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in Table 3, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Table 4, under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 in Table 5, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in Table 6, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 in Table 7, under the Night Poaching Act 1828 in Table 8, under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 in Table 9 and under the Hunting Act 2004 in Table 10.
	No defendants were proceeded against under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 and the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. Data for the Pests Act 1954 are held as part of a miscellaneous group that cannot be separately analysed.
	We are very clear that serious offences will always go to court where tough punishments are available to the independent judiciary, who make their sentencing decisions based on the individual facts of the case.

Driving Offences: Insurance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations his Department has received on increasing penalties for uninsured drivers since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice, along with the Department for Transport, receives a large number of representations from members of the public and Members of Parliament on driving offences, including those involving uninsured drivers. Identifying individual representations on uninsured drivers could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	On 16 August 2013 the fixed penalty for driving without insurance was increased from £200 to £300.
	The Government announced on 12 May this year that they intend to carry out a review of the offences and penalties available for a range of driving offences. This will include offences involving uninsured drivers.

Family Law

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the recent increase in the number of parties representing themselves in court in private family law cases;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the causes of changes in the number of parties representing themselves in court in private law family cases.

Simon Hughes: Litigants in person have always been a feature of the justice system. Data on disposals in the financial year prior to April 2013 indicate that in 64% of private family law cases there was at least one party without recorded legal representation.
	We are closely monitoring the performance of the family justice system. The number of family cases where one or more parties present themselves is published in Courts Statistics Quarterly:
	www.gov.uk/government/collections/court-statistics-quarterly
	Judges are trained to help people with no legal representation and are accustomed to doing so, including by explaining procedures and what is expected of the parties. We have taken steps to help people who either want to represent themselves in court or have to do so, which include publishing a revised guide for separating parents and more training for judges. The link to the guide is:
	http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756

Homicide: Victim Support Schemes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many victims bereaved by homicide have received support from the National Homicide Service in England and Wales since May 2010.

Damian Green: Victim Support, who run the national Homicide Service, report that since the service became operational on 1 March 2010 until 24 June 2014 it has provided support to 5,687 victims bereaved by homicide.

Homicide: Victim Support Schemes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of peer support groups supporting victims bereaved by homicide in each year since May 2010.

Damian Green: Since 2011 the Ministry of Justice has funded a number of peer support groups to provide support to families bereaved by homicide. In the 2013-14 financial year the Ministry of Justice is supporting 13 peer support groups. From October 2014, the new national Homicide Service will incorporate peer support for those bereaved since the current service became operational in 2010. In addition, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed that it will continue to fund the 13 peer support groups until October 2015 and will work with these groups and others to develop funding arrangements from October 2015 onwards.

Homicide: Victim Support Schemes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Grant for Coordination and Delivery of Support to those Bereaved by Homicide advertised by his Department on Contract Finder on 12 February 2014 was a grant or a public contract.

Damian Green: The advertised Grant for Coordination and Delivery of Support to those Bereaved by Homicide is a grant, not a public contract.

Homicide: Victim Support Schemes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what bids were submitted for the Grant for Coordination and Delivery of Support to those Bereaved by Homicide advertised by his Department on Contract Finder on 12 February 2014.

Damian Green: Three bids were received in response to the advertised Grant for Coordination and Delivery of Support to those Bereaved by Homicide. These were from Victim Support, Refuge and Johnston and Blockley.

Homicide: Victim Support Schemes

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria were used to determine the winning bidder for the Grant for Coordination and Delivery of Support to those Bereaved by Homicide advertised by his Department on Contract Finder on 12 February 2014.

Damian Green: We held a competitive process for the grant and the successful bidder was selected on the basis of delivering the best quality service. The award criteria were made available to all potential bidders at the start of the commissioning process and are listed as follows.
	1. Health and Safety
	2. Equalities
	3. Capability
	4. Delivery Structure
	5. Managing Transition
	6. Recruitment and Training
	7. Service Delivery
	8. Managing the Grant
	9. Efficiencies
	10. Expenditure Profile

Mediation

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the role of the professional not-for-profit mediation sector in increasing the take-up of mediation by separating and divorcing couples;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the commercial solicitor sector and the professional not-for-profit National Family Mediation network in ensuring a future increase in take-up of family mediation by divorcing couples;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect of introducing a free non-means tested initial mediation information and assessment meeting on the take-up of mediation;
	(4)  what his policy is towards funding the Help with Family Mediation scheme;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for recent changes in the provision of not-for-profit mediation;
	(6)  what steps he plans to take to address changes in the number of mediation providers in England and Wales.

Simon Hughes: There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.
	Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act 2014. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).
	Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.
	We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.
	I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long-term view for the future of dispute resolution services.
	The task force report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.

Mediation

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to inform the public of the availability of legal aid for family mediation;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to inform the public of the benefits of mediation.

Simon Hughes: We are delivering a wide-ranging programme of activity to improve public awareness and to make sure that advice agencies are providing the correct information about family mediation. This includes being very clear that legal aid is still available for mediation, and for legal support for mediation.
	We have taken action to update and improve information on our own websites and gov.uk and we have included an article about mediation in the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) newsletter—aimed at advisers—to clarify that legal aid does remain available for mediation.
	We have also written to the mediation profession setting out some of the work we are doing and we continue to work very closely with the Family Mediation Council (FMC) to raise the profile of the court and that of the profession. This has principally included funding and working with the FMC to develop an improved website which can be used as a public signpost to mediation and information services, and developing a marketing ‘toolkit' to support mediators in promoting their services to prospective clients.

Mediation

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that family mediation fees remain affordable;
	(2)  how much has been spent on legally aided family mediation in each of the last four years for which figures are available.

Simon Hughes: Statistics on the volume and value of family mediation funded through legal aid are contained within legal aid statistics: April 2013 to March 2014:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322466/legal-aid-statistics-2013-14.pdf
	Tables 7.1 and 7.2 contain family mediation data between 2006-07 and 2013-14.
	An extract of the legal aid spend on family mediation is included in the following table:
	
		
			  MIAMS volumes MIAMS expenditure (£) Mediations starts Mediations (£) 
			 2010-11 26,388 6,276,568 14,186 6,997,924 
			 2011-12 31,338 7,796,253 15,357 6,917,892 
			 2012-13 30,662 8,053,106 13,609 6,307,518 
			 2013-14 13,354 3,182,662 8,400 4,291,680 
		
	
	The large drop off in 2013-14 was due to removal of mandatory MIAM for onward legal aid funding, which meant that solicitors were no longer referring to mediation. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act 2014 which places a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM before being able to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).
	It is too early to say what impact the introduction of statutory MIAMs has had on referral numbers but anecdotally we have heard from mediators and the judiciary that referrals are increasing and the message is getting through to the public.
	Family mediation is not regulated by this Department but legal aid remains available for mediation for those who meet the eligibility criteria.

Prisoners

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Kirkham spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available;
	(2)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Brixton spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available;
	(3)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Birmingham spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available;
	(4)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Erlestoke spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available.

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Belmarsh spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available;
	(2)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Wellingborough spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available;
	(3)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Wetherby spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available;
	(4)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Warrington spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available;
	(5)  how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Whatton spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data are available.

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many hours per week prisoners in HM Prison Blantyre House spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the latest date for which data are available;
	(2)  how many hours per week prisoners in HM Prison Bedford spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the latest date for which data are available;
	(3)  how many hours per week prisoners in HM Prison Aylesbury spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the latest date for which data are available.

Jeremy Wright: Up until the end of 2011-12 information was collected on the average hours per weekday that prisoners were unlocked. By subtracting the average hours unlocked from the 24 hours in a day it is possible to estimate hours spent locked in cell. Figures for each prison establishment for the three years from 2009-10 to 2011-12 have been placed in the Library of the House.
	It should be noted that time in cell includes hours when prisoners are asleep. Time unlocked includes time where a prisoner is either out of their cell or where the cell door is unlocked allowing them to move freely in and out of the cell. Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Time unlocked was discontinued as a performance indicator for prisons at the end of 2011-12 because it was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting the data. Indicators introduced into prison SLAs in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of efforts to prepare prisoners for release and reduce reoffending. Figures for time in cell for the years 2012-13 and 2013-14 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully while they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.
	The number of prisoners working in industrial activity across public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda and have reported that they delivered over 1½ million prisoner working hours in commercial and industrial workshops in 2012-13 which provided work for over 1,200 prisoners. In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.
	Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf
	The establishment-level breakdown of weekly hours worked is not available centrally for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.
	Information on the proportion of prisoners classed as unemployed is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many incidents of assault there were against prison staff at HM Prison Oakwood in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14;
	(2)  how many incidents of assault there were against prison staff at HM Prison Featherstone in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14;
	(3)  how many incidents of assault against prison staff at HM Prison Brinsford there were (a) in 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14;
	(4)  how many incidents of assault there were against prison staff within the boundaries of prisons in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14.

Jeremy Wright: We do not tolerate violence of any kind in prison and take any instance extremely seriously. We are working closely with the police and CPS to develop a new joint approach to report crimes in prison—this includes pushing for prosecutions when our staff are attacked. We are comprehensively reviewing how we manage violence in prisons to introduce further improvements to ensure prisons are safer places for everyone.
	The number of assault on staff incidents at each establishment is published annually in the Safety in Custody Statistics bulletin. The latest figures are in Table 3.15 of the Assaults in Prison Custody 2002-13 tables which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-in-custody-statistics-quarterly-update-to-december-2013
	Figures for the number of assault on staff incidents in prisons in England and Wales are published in the main Safety in Custody bulletin, also found at the link provided. These national figures are published quarterly with the latest bulletin covering calendar years. The next publication on 31 July 2014 will cover periods April to March.

Prisons: Employment

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours per week prisoners in HM Prison (a) Hull, (b) Holloway, (c) Hollesley Bay and (d) Hindley spent (i) in cells and (ii) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of prisoners in each such prison were classed as unemployed on the most recent date for which data are available.

Jeremy Wright: Up until the end of 2011-12 information was collected on the average hours per weekday that prisoners were unlocked. By subtracting the average hours unlocked from the 24 hours in a day it is possible to estimate hours spent locked in cell. Figures for each prison establishment for the three years from 2009-10 to 2011-12 have been placed in the Library of the House.
	It should be noted that time in cell includes hours when prisoners are asleep. Time unlocked includes time where a prisoner is either out of their cell or where the cell door is unlocked allowing them to move freely in and out of the cell. Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Time unlocked was discontinued as a performance indicator for prisons at the end of 2011-12 because it was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting the data. Indicators introduced into prison SLAs in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of efforts to prepare prisoners for release and reduce reoffending. Figures for time in cell for the years 2012-13 and 2013-14 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully whilst they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.
	The number of prisoners working in industrial activity across public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda and have reported that they delivered over 1.5 million prisoner working hours in commercial and industrial workshops in 2012-13 which provided work for over 1,200 prisoners. In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.
	Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf
	The establishment-level breakdown of weekly hours worked is not available centrally for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.
	Information on the proportion of prisoners classed as unemployed is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Probation Trusts

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent on non-disclosure or compromise agreements for former employees of probation trusts since 1 January 2014.

Jeremy Wright: There have been no non-disclosure or compromise agreements included as part of the departure packages of the trust chief executives who have taken early retirement. The terms of departure for other former trust staff were agreed through their own local arrangements.

Wellingborough Prison

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will meet the hon. Member for Wellingborough to discuss HMP Wellingborough;
	(2)  if he will reopen HMP Wellingborough to increase prison capacity;
	(3)  what decisions he has made about the future of HMP Wellingborough.

Jeremy Wright: As this Government have made clear, we will not take any steps to dispose of the mothballed HM Prison Wellingborough because it is a sensible measure to retain reserve capacity. I have no immediate plans to change that status.
	My office will be in touch to arrange a meeting to discuss this matter further.

TREASURY

Carbon Emissions

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the savings to the public purse of reductions in carbon emissions leading to a low carbon economy.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	The Climate Change Act (2008) commits the UK to reducing emissions of GHGs and the accompanying Impact Assessment sets out that within the context of global efforts to limit climate change the benefits to the UK will be greater than the costs. However, the Department has not made specific estimates of the savings to the public purse from a move to a low carbon economy as the precise fiscal impact of carbon emission reductions will depend on the mix of policies used.
	For this reason individual assessments of the fiscal impacts of policies have been made and published where appropriate. In addition, it is worth noting that in the coalition Agreement, the Government committed to increase the proportion of tax revenue accounted for by environmental taxes.

Child Benefit

Jim Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether hours of care during overnight stays and holidays are included in calculations of payments to recipients of child benefit.

David Gauke: Child benefit is a payment in recognition of the costs of bringing up a child. It is paid at the weekly standard rates of £20.50 for the eldest or only child and £13.55 for each additional child.

Child Benefit: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Warrington North constituency are in receipt of child benefit at the most recent date for which figures are available.

David Gauke: The latest information on the number of families receiving child benefit, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication “Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis. August 2013”. This can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/286668/Child_Benefit_statistics_ geographical_analysis_August_2013.pdf
	Table 6 has this information by parliamentary constituency.

Children: Day Care

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph 5.43 of Delivering Tax-Free Childcare: the Government's response to the consultation on design and operation, published in March 2014, whether HM Revenue and Customs will (a) check declared earnings total and (b) run checks with the Department for Work and Pensions to confirm that parents have not begun claiming universal credit, for all parents reconfirming their eligibility at the end of every quarterly entitlement period.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs will be able to check parents’ details via automated system checks in order to confirm that those who seek to reconfirm for Tax-Free Childcare remain eligible for the scheme.
	Parents’ income will be checked against information HMRC holds. Automated links with DWP systems will tell HMRC which parents are claiming universal credit or have applied to do so.
	The vast majority of checks will be automated and not require contact with the parent.

Dover Priory Station

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations HM Revenue and Customs has made to Mapeley regarding the sale of a portion of land on the western perimeter of the Priory Court site, Dover, to allow Network Rail to construct new parking facilities for Dover Priory railway station.

David Gauke: Previous replies have explained that further discussions in relation to Priory Court in Dover are a matter for Mapeley who own the land. While HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) occupy the property under the STEPS contracts and will consider any reasonable proposals, resolution of commercial considerations is for Network Rail and Mapeley.

Dover Priory Station

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Mapeley Group paid for the estate at Proxy Court, Dover; and where the company which paid for the estate is based.

David Gauke: Previous replies have explained that the Department's freehold interest in the site at Priory Court, Dover (also know as Custom House) was sold to Mapeley Limited as part of the STEPS contract in 2001. When the Department sold the properties, a price was paid based on the value of the whole estate, not individual properties.
	The question of ownership of former HMRC properties (now owned by Mapeley STEPS Ltd) is dealt with in the Public Accounts Committee's Thirty Second report, "HM Revenue and Customs' estate private finance deal eight years on", which was published on 8 April 2010.

Infrastructure

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Government have invested in national infrastructure as a percentage share of gross domestic product in each year since 2000.

Danny Alexander: The Government do not publish outturn or forecast data for expenditure on infrastructure projects as a proportion of GDP.
	The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes historical data on public sector gross investment (PSGI) as a percentage of GDP—this can be accessed at the following address:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/pubs/PSF_aggregates_databank_Jun_2014.xls
	Further information on infrastructure investment can be found in the National Infrastructure Plan 2013, which is available on the Infrastructure UK website.

Interest Rate Swap Transactions

Jim Murphy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all participating banks completed all customer review assessments for the sale of interest rate hedging products by the deadline set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA); and what (a) fines and (b) other measures the FCA plans to impose on banks which missed the deadline.

Andrea Leadsom: All nine participating banks have now completed their assessment of customers that joined the FCA review of interest rate hedging products before March 2014. This is within the projected FCA time scale.

Unemployment: Young People

Mark Durkan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of youth unemployment in the UK of the tourism VAT rate.

David Gauke: No specific assessment has been made of the effect on the level of youth unemployment in the UK of the current levels of VAT that apply to the tourism sector.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: Qualifications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants have been sponsored to undertake an MBA or other business qualifications in the last five years; and how many such people passed such a qualification.

Francis Maude: The information requested is not held centrally.

Government Departments: Trade Unions

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will retract his request to Government Departments to end check-off payroll deductions for trades union subscriptions.

Francis Maude: Departments are required to recover the cost of check off.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave during Cabinet Office Orals on 25 June 2014, Official Report, column 302W, to the right hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East (Mr Brown).

Pancreatic Cancer

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the recent trends have been in survival rates for pancreatic cancer.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2014
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Health what the recent trends have been in survival rates for pancreatic cancer (201701).
	ONS publish one- and five-year cancer survival estimates for England, for a range of cancers including pancreatic cancer.
	The latest one- and five-year survival estimates available are for persons diagnosed in 2007-2011 and followed up to 2012. These are provided in Table 1, with figures for each preceding period back to 2000-2004, with follow-up to 2005.
	Although pancreatic cancer survival estimates prior to the period 2000-2004 are available, these are not in a consistent time series so have not been included in Table 1.
	The latest published figures on cancer survival in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/cancer-unit/cancer-survival/index.html
	The Office for National Statistics produces statistics on cancer in England. The Scottish Cancer- Registry produces statistics on cancer in Scotland. Statistics on cancer in Wales are produced by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit. The Northern Ireland Cancer Registry produces statistics on "cancer" in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			 Table 1: One and five-year age-standardised net survival estimates (percentage), for pancreatic cancer, males and females in England: Patients diagnosed 2000-04, followed up to 2005 to patients diagnosed 2007-11, followed up to 20121, 2, 3, 4 
			 Period of diagnosis and follow up  One-year relative survival (percentage) Five-year relative survival (percentage) 
			 2000-04, followed up to 2005, England Male 14.5 2.7 
			  Female 14.9 2.4 
			     
			 2001-06, followed up to 2007, England Male 15.3 2.8 
			  Female 15.9 3.1 
			     
			 2003-07, followed up to 2008, England Male 16.2 3.1 
			  Female 17.3 3.3 
			     
			 2004-08, followed up to 2009, England Male 16.7 3.8 
			  Female 18.5 3.4 
			     
			 2005-09, followed up to 2010, England Male 17.4 3.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Female 19.1 3.8 
			     
			 2006-10, followed up to 2011, England Male 18.0 3.9 
			  Female 19.6 4.4 
			     
			 2007-11, followed up to 2012, England Male 18.8 4.7 
			  Female 20.7 5.4 
			 1 As cancer survival varies with the age at diagnosis, the relative rates for all ages (15 to 99) have been age-standardised to control for changes in the age profile of cancer patients over time, thus making them comparable with previously published figures. 2 When age-standardised survival estimates cannot be provided, the un-standardised estimate is provided instead, in italics. 3 2 Pancreatic cancer is defined as C25 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10). 4 Adult patients aged 15 to 99.

Performance Appraisal

Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of (a) disabled and (b) all other staff employed by his Department received each level of performance rating in their end of year performance assessment for 2013-14.

Francis Maude: Performance ratings have not been finalised for Cabinet Office staff for 2013-14.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: National Income

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target that by 2030 countries progressively introduce broader measures of progress beyond gross domestic product into national accounting, with supportive statistical capacity building in developing countries in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.

Justine Greening: As we have already made clear, the UK supports the target that by 2030 countries progressively introduce broader measures of progress beyond gross domestic product into national accounting, with supportive statistical capacity building in developing countries. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
	The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

Sustainable Development

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to substantially strengthen capacities for data collection and statistical analysis relevant to sustainable development by 2020 with a focus on generating timely and high-quality data disaggregated, as appropriate, by income, age, race, ethnicity and rural urban location in Open Working Group negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Greening: As we have already made clear, the UK supports the target to, by 2020, substantially strengthen capacities for data collection and statistical analysis relevant to sustainable development with a focus on generating timely and high-quality data disaggregated, as appropriate, by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and rural/urban location. This language is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
	The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

Sustainable Development

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy to support the adoption of a target to ensure that adequate policy space is given to developing countries by the international organisations to establish and implement their policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development in Open Working Group negotiations on the sustainable development goals.

Justine Greening: As we have already made clear, the UK agrees with the importance of ensuring that developing countries design and own national policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development. Language on the adequate policy space is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.
	The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether hours of care during overnight stays and holidays are included in calculations of payments to recipients of child support.

Steve Webb: Where the Child Support Agency or Child Maintenance Service work out how much maintenance should be paid, a reduction can apply where parents share the care of a child.
	For a reduction in the amount of child maintenance to be considered, a paying parent must provide overnight care for the child in the case for at least 52 nights per year. Overnight care can take place on a weekly basis, or in blocks of nights/weeks.

Children: Day Care

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 344W, on children: day care, what assumptions on the number of families claiming support for childcare in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18 and (d) 2018-19 have been built into the universal credit programme.

Steve Webb: We announced our plans for the implementation of universal credit on 5 December, and these were set out in a written ministerial statement. The WMS can be found here:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131205/wmstext/131205m0001 .htm#13120551000006
	Official statistics on universal credit were most recently published on 11 June and can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-statistics-apr-2013-to-31-march-2014

Children: Maintenance

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects his Department to have closed all outstanding Child Support Agency cases.

Steve Webb: The process of closing Child Support Agency cases begins in 2014 and the current planning assumption is that it will take around three years to complete.

Council Tax Benefits

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) East Midlands and (d) the UK received council tax benefit in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: Most of the information requested is published and available for each month from November 2008 to February 2013 and can be found in Table 10 of the publication at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-benefit-and-council-tax-benefit-caseload-statistics-published-from-november-2008-to-present
	Council tax benefit (CTB) was replaced in April 2013 by the local council tax reduction scheme and in England the Department for Communities and Local Government is now responsible for these statistics. The Scottish and Welsh Governments have similar responsibility.
	Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics and can be found at:
	http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_publications.htm
	The information requested for Ashfield parliamentary constituency is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However a parliamentary constituency breakdown for CTB was produced as a one-off exercise for January 2011 and this is published at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130107093842/http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hb_ctb_parlc_jan11.xls

Employment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the comparative employment outcomes of people in receipt of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: 720,000 more people are now being supported to prepare or look for work as a result of the incapacity benefit reassessment process.
	The structure of employment and support allowance provides much more support than the incapacity benefit regime to those who it is reasonable to expect to take steps to return to work.

Employment and Support Allowance

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 628W, on the employment and support allowance, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the recent Mind report entitled Fulfilling Potential? ESA and the fate of the Work-Related Activity Group.

Esther McVey: Our Department is fully committed to providing personalised support for people with health conditions. Jobcentre Plus and the work programme are successfully helping claimants into work.
	We are determined to do even more to help ESA claimants into work. We are trialling new approaches to extend our knowledge about what works and inform future policies.
	We have set up the work programme building best practice group to help share what works and we are driving providers to improve performance for this group.
	Our Disability and Health Employment Strategy also sets out a range of interventions to further shape positive attitudes, encourage employers to see the value of disabled people in the work force and better target support to where it will make the most impact.
	Last year the Prime Minister launched the Disability Confident campaign which targeted over 1,100 local and national employers, aiming to increase their confidence in employing disabled people. We received hundreds of pledges from companies in their quest to improve employment outcomes for disabled people.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the costs of administering employment and support allowance between 2014-15 and 2018-19.

Esther McVey: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with the Chancellor to discuss all departmental policies.

Home Visits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many home visits his Department made in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011, (d) 2012 and (e) 2013; and for which purposes;
	(2)  how many recipients of (a) employment and support allowance, (b) housing benefit, (c) income support and (d) jobseeker's allowance received a home visit in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2011, (iv) 2012 and (v) 2013.

Esther McVey: Information is not available in the format requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the value of the average claim for housing benefit made by those (a) out of work, (b) self-employed and (c) employed was in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the value was of housing benefit paid to claimants who were (a) out of work, (b) self-employed and (c) employed in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what proportion of housing benefit claimants were (a) out of work, (b) self-employed and (c) employed in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: The available information is in the following tables:
	
		
			 Table 1: Housing benefit recipients by employment status: Great Britain, 2009-10 to 2013-14 
			 Caseload (thousand)1 
			   Not in employment   
			 As at September: In employment Receiving means-tested out of work benefits Not receiving means-tested out of work benefits (pensioners and other working age) Total Proportion in employment (percentage) 
			 2009 527 2,067 1,944 4,539 11.6 
			 2010 702 2,142 1,953 4,797 14.6 
			 2011 835 2,174 1,925 4,934 16.9 
			 2012 934 2,227 1,880 5,041 18.5 
			 2013 1,019 2,192 1,811 5,022 20.3 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Average housing benefit award by employment status: Great Britain, 2009-10 to 2013-14 
			 £ (per week) 
			   Not in employment  
			 As at September: In employment Receiving means-tested out of work benefits Not receiving means-tested out of work benefits (pensioners and other working age) Total 
			 2009 76.54 92.01 71.62 81.58 
			 2010 84.68 94.06 73.54 84.42 
			 2011 86.92 96.08 76.64 87.01 
			 2012 87.75 97.55 80.19 89.32 
			 2013 89.51 95.87 82.64 89.87 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Housing benefit outturn expenditure by employment status: Great Britain, 2009-10 to 2013-14 
			 £ million, real terms (2014-15 prices) 
			   Not in employment  
			  In employment Receiving means-tested out of work benefits Not receiving means-tested out of work benefits (pensioners and other working age) Total 
			 2009-10 2,591 11,208 8,275 22,074 
			 2010-11 3,438 11,460 8,161 23,060 
			 2011-12 4,092 11,667 8,257 24,016 
			 2012-13 4,558 11,965 8,335 24,858 
		
	
	
		
			 2013-14 4,958 11,383 8,122 24,462 
			 Notes: 1. In employment expenditure is based on instances where either the claimant or their partner has recorded earnings (which could be part-time or full-time) including pensioners, estimated using administrative data from local authority systems. 2. A small number of claimants on passported benefits who receive housing benefit may also be working, or have a working partner. These claimants are not identified in the data. 3. “Out of work benefits” refer to income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance and income-based employment support allowance. 4. Annual expenditure is calculated using quarterly averages of claimant numbers and claim amounts, aligned to out-turn expenditure from local authority subsidy returns. 5. Total out-turn expenditure for 2013-14 an estimate, based on SHBE data and the 2012-13 out-turn expenditure; this is subject to revision as local authority subsidy returns are made. 6. Expenditure figures may differ from previous published figures due to a change in methodology and data sources. 7. Housing benefit caseload and average weekly amounts information can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) and local authority subsidy returns 
		
	
	It is important to note that the increase in the housing benefit caseload in employment is driven by a number of factors, including:
	The overall increase in the number of households renting, whether or not in receipt of housing benefit.
	Recession-related impacts such as previously unemployed HB claimants moving into work and losing eligibility to passported benefits but continuing to claim HB, where as a consequence of the complexity of the benefit system it is possible that in some cases these households may not have made a claim for HB had they not had a spell on out-of-work benefits. A key feature of universal credit is its smoothing of this type of transition.
	The information requested for those who are self-employed is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on numbers in employment do not include those housing benefit recipients whose claim is passported: that is those receiving income support, jobseeker’s allowance (income-based), employment and support allowance (income-based), or pension credit (guaranteed credit). This is unlikely to have a significant impact on the trends shown in the tables.

Independent Living Fund

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that adequate support exists for those affected by the abolition of the Independent Living Fund beyond the year of guaranteed funding made available to local authorities.

Michael Penning: Last year’s spending review determined budgets for 2015-16 only. This applies to all aspects of Government expenditure not just ex-ILF funding. Budgets for later years will be determined in a later spending review; the timing of this is not known but it is likely to be after the next general election.
	Following the closure of the ILF it will be the responsibility of the Department of Health and the devolved Administrations to ensure that they reflect the needs of ILF users in future funding bids.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance he has issued to jobcentre staff on information to provide to jobseeker's allowance claimants whose claim has been stopped on the other support options available.

Esther McVey: All advisers have access to comprehensive and clear procedures, guidance and extensive learning which equips them to advise claimants who may have their entitlement to benefit ended, including alternative sources of financial assistance.
	Where a benefit doubt is identified and the case is being referred to a decision maker, claimants are given information (verbally and in writing) about the doubt in question, what happens next, what they can do if their claim ends and the availability of jobseeker's allowance under the hardship provision.
	Once a decision is made and entitlement ends, a formal notification is issued to the claimant, which includes information about the availability of jobseeker's allowance under the hardship provision.
	Where the Department for Work and Pensions is unable to help claimants they will be signposted to other types of support in their areas, including local authorities.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what penalties are incurred by jobcentre staff who fail to inform jobseeker's allowance claimants whose claim has been stopped of the other support options available to them.

Esther McVey: We aim to ensure those who are eligible are fully aware of hardship provision, know how to make an application and have the right support from Jobcentre staff throughout the process so that they can receive payments. In the event that Jobcentre staff do not comply with any guidance, local Jobcentre managers may take appropriate steps in accordance with DWP's policies and procedures.

National Insurance Contributions Office: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Andrew McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that the centralisation in Newcastle of national insurance services for the North East does not have a negative effect on service for users.

Esther McVey: Measures taken ensure that dedicated centralised teams are able to offer both earlier and increased numbers of appointments to individuals of the north-east. Measures are also in place to ensure mobile visits to employer sites are completed when necessary.

Personal Independence Payment

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on offering interim payments to claimants of the personal independence payment while the backlog of applications is cleared.

Michael Penning: We are committed to ensuring personal independence payment claimants receive high quality, objective, fair and accurate assessments. Any delays experienced by new claimants will not affect the date from which they are awarded PIP, as successful claims will be backdated. There is no policy or legislative basis on which to provide interim payments.

Personal Independence Payment

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the current waiting time for an Atos Healthcare-provided assessment for a personal independence payment claim is in (a) Hull and (b) nationwide.

Michael Penning: The information requested is not available.

Personal Independence Payment

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent evaluation he has undertaken of the performance of the firms undertaking personal independence payment evaluations on behalf of his Department.

Michael Penning: The Department’s contracts with Capita and Atos Healthcare for the delivery of assessments for personal independence payment include a full set of service level agreements setting out the Department's expectations for service delivery. We are closely monitoring their progress against these and are taking action to drive up performance where this does not meet the required standards.
	We are aware that, in many cases, it is taking longer than we would like for claimants to have their assessments with Capita and Atos Healthcare. To ensure they deliver we are working closely with our suppliers to speed up the process for claimants.

Universal Credit

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of universal credit on landlords who have claimants as tenants; what the results were of the direct payment demonstration projects on the effect of paying housing benefit direct to tenants; and if he will reduce the two calendar month rent arrears trigger point before a landlord can go directly to his Department for direct payment.

Steve Webb: Interim evaluation from the first six months of the Direct Payment Demonstration Projects was published in December 2013 and can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/265257/direct-payment-demo-figures-dec-2013.pdf
	DWP has developed three levels of safeguards for tenants and landlords based on findings from the Direct Payment Demonstration Projects and continuous improvements through our test and learn approach in live service.
	We make an initial judgment on each claim as to whether the claimant is at risk of default and if so, we can put them on managed payments immediately. In the majority of cases Direct Payments will apply and we have two safeguards in place:
	(1) We will review the initial decision if we are advised that arrears have reached the equivalent of one months rent.
	(2) We will move to payment to the landlord if we are advised that arrears have reached the equivalent of two months rent.

Universal Credit: South East

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when universal credit will be rolled out to (a) Brighton, Kemptown constituency and (b) the South East; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on 5 December 2013, Official Report, column 65WS—link to WMS:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131205/wmstext/131205m0001.htm#column_65ws
	The statement sets out our plans for UC Delivery. We are progressing well against the plan and from 23 June 2014 expansion of the UC live service across the whole of the North West of England began.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-west-universal-credit-expansion

Written Questions

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parliamentary questions tabled to his Department in the last parliamentary Session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 Prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

Esther McVey: The Department provided substantive answers to all parliamentary questions in the 2013-14 parliamentary Session.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the recent reception at Admiralty House to celebrate the Tour de France cost; how this cost was met; and who provided the staff for this event.

Nicholas Clegg: Information on the costs of receptions I host is published under the Government's transparency rules. The costs of the reception at Admiralty House to celebrate the Tour de France will be published under these rules at:
	www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications
	The Cabinet Office provides staff for all regular receptions.

Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which parliamentarians were invited to the reception held to celebrate the Tour de France at Admiralty House on 18 June 2014; and on what basis they were selected.

Nicholas Clegg: All members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Tour de France were invited to the reception held to celebrate the Tour de France at Admiralty House on 18 June 2014.

Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the invitation list for the reception held to celebrate the Tour de France at Admiralty House on 18 June 2014; and on what basis each such organisation was selected.

Nicholas Clegg: The invitation list was compiled based on advice from the Tour de France hub, Welcome to Yorkshire and from the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Tour de France. We do not routinely publish the full invitation lists for receptions. Details of the cost of receptions and number of attendees are published on a quarterly basis.

Voting Behaviour

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the proportion of people that voted in the most recent nationwide elections; and what steps he is taking to encourage more people to vote at future elections.

Greg Clark: Turnout across the UK at the European Parliamentary Elections 2014 was 35.4%, slightly higher than 34.5% at the previous election in 2009.
	The Government are committed to maximising electoral registration to help support the highest possible turnout in elections.

EDUCATION

Chemistry: Teachers

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many chemistry teachers undertook a chemistry subject knowledge enhancement course in each of the last five years.

David Laws: There are two types of subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses:
	pre initial teacher training (ITT) SKE, to support recruitment of trainee teachers in shortage subjects; and
	post ITT SKE, to support work force challenges in schools.
	We have surpassed our target for trainees entering chemistry teacher training in each of the last three years, recruiting 121% of the target in 2011/12, 108% in 2012/13, and 127% in 2013/14.
	In addition, the latest annual School Workforce Census (2013)1 shows that 80.4% of chemistry teachers who teach pupils from years 7 to 13 have a relevant post A-level qualification, up from 72.7% in the 2010 census.2
	Data for the number of chemistry SKE courses for 2009-13 is in the table. Post ITT SKE courses were available only from the academic year 2011/12. SKE course data for 2013/14 is not yet available.
	1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2013
	2 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2010-provisional
	
		
			 Academic year Number of pre ITT chemistry SKE courses undertaken Number of post ITT chemistry SKE courses undertaken 
			 2009/10 577 n/a 
			 2010/11 522 n/a 
			 2011/12 574 87 
			 2012/13 399 91

Colleges of Education: Greater London

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many years the longest serving head teacher on the panel which assessed the Institute of Education proposal to establish a university training school in Holborn and St Pancras had been a school head.

Edward Timpson: The panel that considered the Holborn University Training School proposal and conducted the interview with the Institute of Education possessed a collective experience in school headship of over 32 years, covering secondary and primary phases.

Music: Education

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria underlay his Department's decision that the Arts Council will in future be responsible for the funding of music in schools; and what criteria will be used to evaluate the outcome for schools of that decision.

Matthew Hancock: Schools are responsible for providing music education to their pupils, using the funding they receive for curricula and extra-curricula provision. It is for schools to decide how to spend this, including on music.
	In addition, we are providing £171 million to 123 new music education hubs across 2012-15 to provide core roles, such as ensuring that every child aged five to 18 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument through whole-class ensemble teaching, and to progress from that, to sing, to play in ensembles, and to perform.
	The hubs have been overseen by Arts Council England (ACE) on our behalf since they were set up in August 2012, and we have confirmed that ACE will continue to carry out this role until at least March 2016. Arrangements beyond this point will be subject to review.
	The Department for Education is monitoring the performance of the hubs on an ongoing basis, through annually collected data and a new Hubs Advisory Group. In the first year of the music education hubs, nearly half a million children were given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument for the first time and hubs provided or supported 15,000 choirs, orchestras and bands. More than a third of those children who learned a musical instrument for the first time have continued learning to play.

Pupil Numbers

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schoolchildren graduated from (a) a comprehensive, (b) a grammar, (c) a secondary and (d) an independent school in the last academic year.

David Laws: The Department for Education publishes pupil results at the end of key stage 4, which signals the end of compulsory education. Information on the key stage 4 results of pupils by admission basis and school type is published in the "GCSE and equivalent results in England, 2012 to 2013 (revised)"1 Statistical First Release. The relevant tables have been placed in the House Library:
	1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent -results-in-england-2012-to-2013-revised
	(National tables: SFR01/2014 document, Table 3a and b).

Pupils: Safety

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that primary school children are safe inside the school building and in the surrounding area.

David Laws: All schools have a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment. Under health and safety legislation, schools are required to conduct a health and safety risk assessment and put in place an appropriate policy to ensure that staff and pupils are not exposed to risks. This applies to activities on or off the school premises.
	Schools are also required to undertake a range of employment and criminal record checks when making appointments and supervise visitors to the school building. Guidance is made available to schools to help them meet these legal requirements.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the use of wild animals in circuses.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 June 2014, Official Report, column 113W.

Beavers: Devon

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to control the population of wild beavers in Devon; and whether such plans include an option for culling.

George Eustice: We intend to recapture and rehome the wild beavers in Devon and are currently working out plans for the best way to do so. All decisions will be made with the welfare of the beavers in mind. There are no plans to cull beavers.

Beavers: Devon

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with Natural England on the control of the population of wild beavers in Devon.

George Eustice: DEFRA, Natural England and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency have discussed the need to recapture and rehome the population of wild beavers in Devon and also the process for doing so.

Common Agricultural Policy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the regulatory impact of the changes to the CAP on farmers.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, column 63W.

Educational Testing Service

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what current contracts (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department's executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies hold with the Educational Testing Service or any of that organisation's subsidiaries.

Dan Rogerson: Neither core DEFRA, nor its Executive Agencies or non-departmental public bodies hold any contracts with the Educational Testing Service or any of its subsidiaries.

Flood Control: Thames Gateway

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the level of flood protection in the Thames Gateway.

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency's Thames Estuary 2100 Plan, which covers the area known as the "Thames Gateway", sets out the current levels of risk to the area and the plans to protect areas at risk from tidal flooding until the end of the century.
	Following the winter storms, the Environment Agency reassessed the condition of all flood defences on the Thames and the level of flood protection they offer.

Floods

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the contribution by the Prime Minister of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 1116W, what assessment he has made of the cost of flooding damage to (a) farmers and (b) small businesses from the beginning of the financial year 2013 which will become eligible for support from his Department's (i) Farming Recovery Fund and (ii) support for fishermen schemes; and what estimate he has made of the number of additional claims made under each such scheme as a result of this extended eligibility.

Dan Rogerson: There are no plans to extend eligibility for either of these two schemes. Both of these schemes build on existing EU schemes where the EU rules prevent any changes in eligibility that would allow those flooded before 1 December 2013 to apply.

Horses: Animal Welfare

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to address the problem of horse abandonment.

George Eustice: There are many underlying issues which result in horses being abandoned and neglected. In some cases it seems owners are struggling to cope with the costs involved in keeping a horse. In other cases, irresponsible breeders and horse traders are deliberately placing horses on land to secure grazing for their animals at no cost to themselves.
	In the Government’s view the way to address these problems is to tackle the perpetrators directly. Antisocial behaviour orders have been successfully used in Wales and in Bristol to address fly-grazing, and there is likely to be an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 where a horse is abandoned. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 brings forward new streamlined measures to tackle antisocial behaviour, of which the practice of fly-grazing of horses is a prime example. Where fly grazing is a particular problem, we encourage the local authorities and police to work together with landowners, farmers and welfare charities to identify the culprits and address their behaviour directly using these powers. In a number of cases and to encourage joined up working, protocols have been drawn up by some local authorities to summarise the action that can be taken under existing legislation. DEFRA is supplementing that guidance with advice on the new measures in the 2014 Act which comes into force later this year.

Members: Correspondence

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter of 3 June 2014 from the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland.

George Eustice: I replied to the hon. Member on 24 June 2014.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Battle of Waterloo: Anniversaries

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo.

Helen Grant: Planning for the commemoration, in 2015, of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo is being carried out by Waterloo 200, an umbrella organisation which is overseeing the anniversary. More information can be found on its website at the following link:
	www.waterloo200.org
	In the June 2013 Budget, the Chancellor announced funding circa £1 million will be allocated to restore the site of the battle.
	The previous Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), was also pleased to announce in October 2013 that at least £10 million will be made available by the Heritage Lottery Fund over the next four years to fund projects marking some of the UK’s most important anniversaries and commemorative events, including the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo.

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many creditors had remained unpaid by his Department on 1 June 2014 for (a) 45, (b) 60, (c) 75 and (d) 76 days and over.

Helen Grant: holding answer 25 June 2014
	The number of creditors that remained unpaid by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at 1 June were:
	
		
			  Number 
			 (a) 45 days and over 12 
			 (b) 60 days and over 9 
			 (c) 75 days and over 5 
			 (d) 76 days and over 5

Civil Partnerships

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Government plans to publish its report on its consultation on the future of civil partnership in England and Wales.

Helen Grant: The report on the conclusions of the review of civil partnership in England and Wales is published today and is available on the Culture, Media and Sport website at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-future-of-civil-partnership-in-england-and-wales

Direct Selling

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many companies were fined more than once for making nuisance calls by (a) the Information Commissioner's Office and (b) Ofcom in each of the last three years.

Edward Vaizey: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have issued monetary penalties totalling more than £1.9 million since January 2012 for nuisance calls, however no company has been issued with a monetary penalty more than once by either ICO or Ofcom for making nuisance calls.

Direct Selling

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many companies were fined for making nuisance calls by (a) the Information Commissioner's Office and (b) Ofcom in each of the last three years.

Edward Vaizey: The number of monetary penalties issued for making nuisance calls by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) in each of the last three years is set out in the table. Also, both the ICO and Ofcom take informal enforcement action to ensure that companies about whom they have concerns are brought into compliance more quickly. From January 2013 - June 2014, ICO engaged with over 20 organisations, which were responsible for making nuisance calls and as a result recorded substantial reductions in complaints for five of these organisations. Ofcom’s informal action against 25 organisations making silent and abandoned phone calls has resulted in complaints linked to the telephone numbers used by 22 of those organisations stopping or reducing significantly, while three cases are ongoing. The power to issue monetary penalties of £500,000 for ICO came into force in January 2012, while Ofcom’s power to issue a monetary penalty of £2 million became effective in October 2010.
	
		
			  2011 2012 2013 Total (£) 
			 ICO1 - 1 3 360,000 
			 Ofcom - 2 1 1,560,000 
			 1 ICO has also issued monetary penalties to two companies for SMS spam text messages in 2012 and 2013.

Direct Selling

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to tackle unsolicited marketing telephone calls originating from outside the UK.

Edward Vaizey: Unsolicited marketing calls originating from outside the United Kingdom (UK) made by or on behalf of UK companies are legally required not to call a number that is registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which is provided under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003. Protection is also provided under the PECR if consumers have previously notified the caller that they do not wish to receive such calls and for automated recorded messages calls, which require prior consent. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) considers complaints and can issue a monetary penalty of up to £500,000. Calls made from abroad by overseas companies fall outside the jurisdiction of the UK.
	Also, there are various steps that consumers can take to block nuisance calls from getting through to them. Most telecom service providers offer a range of services, usually for a small charge or for free, that can help to reduce the need to answer such calls. These include ‘Calling Line Identification Display’, ‘Anonymous Call Rejection’ and ‘Choose to Refuse’. BT’s ‘Choose to Refuse’ service allows consumers to block numbers by specifying numbers that they do not want to receive calls from. Also, ’Caller Display’ enables a consumer to choose to ignore calls including those that withhold their number and ‘Anonymous Call Rejection’ blocks incoming calls that withhold their number; although this may include some calls that consumers may want to receive. Additionally, telephone handsets and plug in devices are commercially available from the internet and high street shops that can help to block unwanted nuisance calls.

Film

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of investment from overseas sources in film production in the UK in each year since 2010.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 25 June 2014
	DCMS and the BFI do not hold data on the total investment from overseas sources in film production in the UK. However, the BFI collects data on the total expenditure on core filmmaking activities by international film production companies on productions made in the UK. Expenditure on core filmmaking activities includes pre-production, principal photography and post production but excludes any expenditure incurred on development, distribution or other non-production activities. The total UK spend in each year since 2010, is set out in the table:
	
		
			  Inward investment UK spend (£ million)1 
			 2010 1,011 
			 2011 1,070 
			 2012 623 
			 2013 868 
			 1 Rounded to the nearest £ million Source: BFI

Floods

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the contribution by the Prime Minister of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 1116W, what assessment he has made of the cost of flooding damage to small businesses in the UK from the beginning of the financial year 2013 which will become eligible for support from the (a) support for tourism and (b) flood relief fund for sport schemes; and what estimate he has made of the number of additional claims made under each such scheme as a result of this extended eligibility.

Helen Grant: We have not made an assessment of the cost of flooding damage to small tourism businesses or sport schemes from the beginning of the financial year 2013. This would be very difficult to ascertain.
	The Government’s tourism package on flood support, announced on 1 March 2014, was not grant based. The package included a tactical recovery marketing programme designed to encourage UK residents to take short breaks and trips leading up to Easter, and also funded business support workshops and drop in clinics for tourism and tourism related businesses. Destination Management Organisations could choose to take the opportunity to run the workshops on behalf of VisitEngland, providing the advice for those businesses affected by flooding in the winter floods. There are no plans to extend the package of flood support.
	Sport England has had a number of funds in place to help clubs upgrade and improve their facilities and pitches that date back before April 2013. Clubs affected by flooding from April 2013 would be very welcome to apply to these funds to get more people playing sport. Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund has invested over £91 million to modernise over 1600 local sports clubs and its Protecting Playing Field fund has invested over £22 million into 399 projects to protect and improve over 1000 pitches.

Floods

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the contribution made by the Prime Minister of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 1116W, what extra resource his Department will provide to deal with extended eligibility for claims made under the (a) support for tourism and (b) flood relief fund for sport schemes.

Helen Grant: The Government’s tourism package on flood support, announced on 1 March 2014, was not grant based. The package included a tactical recovery marketing programme designed to encourage UK residents to take short breaks and trips leading up to Easter, and also funded business support workshops and drop in clinics for tourism and tourism related businesses. Destination Management Organisations could choose to take the opportunity to run the workshops on behalf of VisitEngland, providing the advice for those businesses affected by flooding in the winter floods. There are no plans to extend the package of flood support.
	Sport England has had a number of funds in place to help clubs upgrade and improve their facilities and pitches that date back before April 2013. Clubs affected by flooding from April 2013 would be very welcome to apply to these funds to get more people playing sport. Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund has invested over £91 million to modernise over 1600 local sports clubs and its Protecting Playing Field fund has invested over £22 million into 399 projects to protect and improve over 1,000 pitches.

Public Libraries

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of local authority funding for the staffing of libraries.

Edward Vaizey: Public libraries are funded and run by local authorities and it is for each local authority to determine at a local level how much they spend on libraries and how to manage and deliver the service, including decisions about expenditure on staffing.

Public Libraries: Lincolnshire

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make representation to Lincolnshire county council on its decision to invite volunteers to run some local libraries in Lincolnshire.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to superintend and promote the improvement of the public library service provided by local authorities in England. The Department is aware of the proposed changes to library service provision in Lincolnshire having received a number of representations from local residents. A legal challenge to the decision taken by Lincolnshire county council to reconfigure its library services is to be considered by the High Court on 8-9 July and this Department will consider matters further in light of the outcome of the judicial review.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Written Questions

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities how many parliamentary questions tabled to the Government Equalities Office in the last parliamentary session did not receive a substantive answer by the time of the 2014 prorogation; and when each such question was first tabled.

Helen Grant: All parliamentary questions tabled to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which includes the Government Equalities Office, in the last parliamentary Session, received a substantive answer by the time the House prorogued on 14 May 2014.